Elements of Harmony: Fractured Reality
by Electricut
Summary: The world is in bad shape, and only vaguely resembles what it should be. The average humans of Equestria have to fend for themselves, suffering for the indifference and threats from above, while others are happily ignorant of the country's plight.
1. Part One

This story has been in progress for a long time, and my writing has improved along the way. As such, the chapters start out short, but grow longer and more detailed with time. It is also technically a crossover of five elements: My Little Pony, Fire Emblem, Phantom Brave, Homestuck, and Zelda, though the influence of any of the latter four varies.

**Chapter one**

**Year 498, Equestria Callander**

**Town Square**

_Half the day has already passed. The festival is tonight, and I should probably be seeing if anyone else needs help with preparations, but... the sun is in just the right position in the sky, and to be fair, I'm half asleep anyway... Someone's bound to wake me up when I'm needed. Yeah, they'll be fine, with so many people on the job to begin with..._

"Excuse me?"

_Hm? New voice, haven't met this person yet...Oh, wait, it's probably someone from the capital, coming to check on stuff. Maybe she'll just ignore me... Nah, too much wishful thinking; with my luck she's probably looking for me anyway. Maybe I can at least intimidate her, make her just check up on things and move on before I say something I'll regret..._

I could hear her footsteps approaching, and prepared my small plan of action. They stopped directly before me and she repeated herself. In one move, I grabbed the broadsword from beside me, spun to my feet, and landed with the blade an inch from her face. She started in surprise and nearly tripped.

_Yes! That was so boss. _I thought, just as the sword was kicked out of my hand from my right, and a knife pointed at my own face. The weapon skidded across the street, coming to rest near a tree. I turned, seeing a, green-eyed man with violet hair and facial markings holding the tiny blade. His clothes were average-enough looking, aside from a white bandana tied around the top of his head. He showed scarce emotion, except maybe slight annoyance.

"... Well played." I stated simply, turning back to the girl. She, on the other hand, had much more fancy clothes and hair, and could only have come from the capital city. "You need something?" I asked with record calmness for speaking with a capital person.

"Wha- are... Are you really going to be so casual right after pointing a sword at my face?"

I held back a grin, realizing my original goal had been achieved anyway. "It was to try and unnerve you. This guy topped it." I pointed to her companion with my thumb.

"Honestly, it's a bit hard to be intimidated by the guy with rainbow hair."

"Four things I've got to say to that." I added immediately. "One, I was born with it. Two, girls love it. Three, no one expects the rainbow-hair guy to stab them in the face. And fourth, screw you. Did you need anything else?"

The girl seemed a heck of a lot less emotionally stable than the man, who hadn't budged an inch yet. "Oh... I was told you were in charge of the weather for tonight? I wanted to make sure everything is in order."

"Ah. Yeah, I got it under control, stuff'll be ready by then."

She looked skyward. "Still pretty cloudy."

"It takes, like, a minute at max for me to clear a sky like this. I was going to make a little appetizer-type show out of it, to build up excitement for the main event, you know."

She took a moment before responding. "You're sure you can do it that quickly?"

"My personal best is twenty seconds, actually. A minute to make it flashy. Yeah, I got it. That all?"

I could tell she wanted to say more, but held her tongue, shook her head and began walking away. Her companion lowered his weapon, gave me an apologetic shrug, and followed. I watched them leave for the upper part of town, retrieved my own weapon, and returned to my nap.

I can only imagine the rest of the day passed by uneventfully. Hard to tell when you sleep through it. At any rate, I was awoken an hour before I was needed, and flew over to the makeshift, open-roofed building on the outskirts of town, built specifically for the festival. I perched myself atop the wall, to the side of the door, watching the proceedings. Slightly below me, the girl's companion had struck up a conversation with Rarity's companion, Opal, but for the most part I couldn't make heads or tails of any of it.

"Really didn't expect to find anyone else from back home all the way out here." She said.

"I could say the same. My shipmates and I washed up here, oh, sixteen years ago now. There were fifteen of us to begin with, but a few died on the way, and one went missing after we crashed, and the remaining eleven of us got picked up by the Queen. There's only nine of us left now. I got assigned to be the guardian of her new apprentice, Twilight, and that's the main reason I'm at this festival today."

"Kinda the same deal with me. I was pretty little at the time, and I had wanted to explore... I stowed aboard a ship headed out for an expedition, and it crashed... I was the only one to make it to shore, and a noble house from near this town brought me in. Rarity- she's that one over there- She was pretty young at the time too. We basically grew up together, and I know I'll stick with her 'till the end. So different from back home, huh?

"Something's been bugging me, though... Weren't all the other continents supposed to have been flooded a long time ago? How is it that no-one else has ever found this place before?"

"I'd been thinking about that myself lately. The old Dragon King was alive during the Goddess War, and he always said the Goddess confirmed our old home was the only one left. That was only, what, eight hundred years or so ago? A continent couldn't get here all by itself in that short a time..."

I separated myself from the conversation to check around the rest of the crowd, making my own rounds to see that all was in order. Seeing that everything was good to go, I made my way up to the stage, and hovered above the floor for a moment. Soon everyone's attention was upon me. Excellent.

I drew my sword and carefully pivoted to where I was on my back- in my normal fighting stance, but facing skyward. This was easily the hardest part of the technique to master. I dashed straight upward, generating a vortex of wind around me as I went. Clouds crashed into it and evaporated on impact.

Reaching the point where everyone would _just _be able to still see me, then raised my blade to the sky, creating a huge vortex of wind focused around the sword. All the clouds in sight, save for any directly above me, were drawn in and sliced to ribbons immediately. Lastly, I flew up and around the final cloud that had been above me, and dropped straight downwards with the blade pointed downward.

The cloud was destroyed, and I landed with the sword embedded firmly in the stage. Applause. I retrieved the weapon and fell back into the crowd, finding a place to stand near Apple Jack. The main event was about to begin.

"You gonna stick around this time?" She whispered to me.

"Mhm... I'm pretty sure I'll be fine. I wouldn't risk it when the Queen herself is here, if I didn't think I could make it. Yeah, I'll be okay."

"Huh... Well, you know that if you need to leave, I'll cover for you."

"Yeah, I know..." We dropped the conversation at that, waiting for something to happen up on stage. Time passed, and nothing did. "Uh... Shouldn't something have happened by now...?"

She looked up at the sky, doing what I'm guessing was telling time. "Yeah... They sure are taking their time this year..." Others had also begun murmuring amongst themselves, hardly anyone paying attention to the stage. I glanced up, and had to squint to see exactly what was going on.

"Hey, that's not supposed to be happening, is it?" I asked hesitantly.

Apple Jack glanced up at the stage, seeing what I was referring to. Thin, dark clouds were gathering around the stage, not drawing much attention. With perfect silence, they shot into the air, dashed back down, and from the space between them, a black-armored figure appeared.

"Uh, no." She said simply. "Definitely not."

**Chapter Two**

**Lunar Festival**

Both of us tensed, gripping our weapons. Apple Jack was equipped with a heavy battle axe. Looking around, I could see a few others equipping themselves. Chief among them was the girl's companion, who was using dual knives. I saw a few other swords and some lances as well.

Soon everyone's attention had been turned to the black-clad figure, who stepped forward and spoke. "Freedom at last..." The voice was recognizable as feminine, shrouded as it was by the dark armor. She surveyed the town placidly. "How long has it been...? Five hundred years, perhaps? Six hundred?"

"Four ninety-eight." A voice from across the row of seats chimed in. Turning, I saw it was the girl from before- Twilight, her guardian had said. _She must have a death wish. Probably would have gotten it a while ago if not for that guardian of hers, no doubt. _

The dark figure snapped to attention immediately, staring at the point where the voice had come from. "My. You've done well for such a short time, haven't you? Not even five hundred years since I've been awake last, and you've made some advances, I see. So, I take it you haven't forgotten me already, then?"

My mind was racing, trying to catch up to the conversation. The beginning of recorded time, asleep since then, black armor...

_Several years previously, back when he was still around... A story he read out of an old, dusty book, telling of the princess Luna... Of her attempted overthrow of the Ruler Queen, to turn the kingdom into a land of darkness... It seemed plausible at the time, but now..._

"Luna." I whispered to Applejack. "Or, Nightmare Moon, whatever works. It's her." Her eyes widened slightly, but we otherwise stood silent. Twilight, however, didn't get that message, but seemed to have made the same connection as me.

"Nightmare Moon." She said, undaunted. _Shouldn't her guardian be trying to make her shut up? _"You may have broken free early, but don't think this means we're not prepared to stop you." _Oh lord, someone please just kill her now._

Nightmare Moon simply stared at her, possibly dumbfounded. When she spoke again, she said this: "Tell me, young one, have you ever heard of something called the 'Real World?' I wouldn't imagine so with the rate at which you're going. If all your precious Queen could do was seal me away, and not even do a decent job of it, what can you possibly hope to accomplish?"

It was just then that I noticed a shape moving in the background behind her. _Ah, that explains it. Let's see what he can do then. _The guardian had somehow made his way to the back of the stage, had both knives drawn, and was preparing to strike.

"Truly...?" The fallen royal sighed. In one move, she spun around, grabbed him by the shirt and tossed him across the stadium. He crashed into the ground, coming to rest near the opposite wall. The rest of the crowd chose now to run. "What lies have been spun, to avert trust from me so soon? Can a purpose so powerful truly be so quickly forgotten?"

Nearly everyone else had already fled, and only a few people still remained. Among them were Apple Jack and myself, as well as, regrettably, Twilight, Rarity, and a few others I couldn't name off the top of my head.

"And such a cowardly bunch, too. You must live a rather cushy life these days, don't you? One look at someone who can fight, and... Ah, pardon me, I'm rambling again, aren't I? Well, who's left? A few decent looking fighters, at least. Well then, why not show me what battle ability has survived in a world overseen by my _sister?_"

She spat out the word with extreme contempt, then cast her hand in the air, drawing more wisps of darkness from nowhere. She herself vanished, while the clouds materialized into beings somewhat resembling large dogs, but completely black with glowing yellow eyes. More appeared by the second.

I looked around, and- somewhat unsurprisingly- saw no royal soldiers whatsoever. "Looks like we'll have to clean up the Queen's mess once again, eh?" I said, bringing my sword to bear over my shoulder.

"Shame she don't pay us for it, we'd be rich by now..." Applejack mumbled, bringing hers to the ground. We stood back to back, faced each with a horde of the beasts. I slashed one in half as it jumped at me, and it disappeared in a puff of smoke. _They aren't real beings, then. This is only a test... _

I caught a glimpse of the guardian rushing outside, and heard sounds of battle from there, too. Opal, it seemed, had also left to fight outside, as well as some others. Twilight and Rarity had joined in with the two others who still remained in the stadium.

Rarity fought weakly with a rapier (exactly what I'd expect from a noble) Twilight shot down enemies with thunder spell (with surprising skill) and the third (one with messy magenta hair who generally just seemed a bit... off) fought wildly but effectively with a spear. The fourth (I might have seen her somewhere before, but for the life of me I couldn't remember. She had long, pink hair and sad eyes) didn't fight at all, instead staying behind the group and trying to remain unseen. _I suppose she just didn't get out in time._ I thought.

I sliced down several more, sent a disc of wind across the ground and killed several more. I nudged Applejack, motioning to the other group. She nodded in understanding, and we fought our way over to them. "Need a hand?" She yelled cheerfully over the growling of the dark beings.

The others stared for a moment, but when they were brought back into the battle and finished their next opponents they nodded. We fell in behind the group, forming a complete circle around the non-fighter. After a while the crowd of demonic shadows finally started to thin out, and the others were mostly starting to slow down.

At last, when only a few remained, they just glanced around and disappeared. While the other four let out their held breath, some coming close to collapsing, I took the time to survey what damage had been done. The inside of the room was a mess, and hardly any of the decorations were left standing, but the building itself was intact. I could also see no significant injuries on anyone. _There's nothing broken we can't repair, yet they could have wrecked the place if they wanted. They really were just testing us this time around._

"Well." I said, turning to face the group. "What now?"

Twilight, as was to be expected at this point, was the first to respond. "We have to do something to stop her!"

Typical. "Well, I would like to speak with her at the very least..." _She seemed to think she was misunderstood somewhere along the line. Still, it's clear overthrowing Celestia wasn't misconstrued. I do wonder... _"Right then, we'll go off and find her. First thing's first, let's find some backup- Two dependable fighters out of six just isn't good enough."

"Wait, who went and made you leader?"

I went as far as to face-palm myself. "Maybe because out of all of us, I've actually got some experience? You and Rarity are both nobles- and by that logic, have likely never been in a real fight before now, and these two-" I motioned to the other two who hadn't been introduced- "Well, they don't exactly look like they could lead either. That leaves me and Applejack, and I pretty much do all the talking for both of us already. Any questions?"

"Being able to fight doesn't mean you can lead. I'm the Queen's apprentice, for goodness sake, I think I have a bit more experience in that department."

_Queens's apprentice, that's right. _I could feel my hate for this girl growing, but I saw an opportunity here. "Fine then. You think you can lead better, fine. Lead us. Just so long as I can get to this Nightmare Moon, it doesn't matter. You in, Applejack?"

"'Course." She said simply, hefting her axe over her shoulder.

"Oh, what's your name, anyway? I've been introduced to everyone else but you already."

"Ah, yes, forgot you're not from around here. To you all, it's Rainbow Dash."

**Chapter Three**

**EverFree Forest**

The six of us trudged through the dense forest, me staying near the back of the pack, but completely alert. This area was totally deserted and had been for decades- what structures were left were in ruin, and the forest itself had obstructed most paths with fallen trees and landslides. Often we had to double back and find another smaller road to take until it met back with the original.

_Someone remind me why we only brought the equivalent of maybe four professional fighters into this mess?_ I asked, not for the first time. I had already gotten multiple answers: We (as in Twilight) didn't want to endanger more people in case something happened, she was confident that who we had would be enough (I couldn't really complain about this answer), things along that line. I still couldn't help but think that we would be overrun if they threw too many troops at us with these few numbers, though.

We had cleared one of the thicker sections of forest, and were now approaching a more narrow strip of road built onto the side of a cliff. "Careful, everyone!" Twilight called back, but not overly loudly. We all set off down the path slowly, and I began hovering above the path, ready to act.

We were about halfway through to the next even ground (and clump of forest) when a distant noise sounded. Everyone stopped. _It almost sounded like..._

"Get to the wall, quick!" I yelled, drawing my sword, just as an explosion rocked the foundation of the mountain. Huge chucks of rock fell from the steep cliffs below, and a few loose pebbles from above. Everyone dove to the side, trying to find a solid spot to stand. Another blast, and the path was nearly obliterated.

I looked out in the distance, from where the charges must have come from, and saw a group of figures, completely black, readying a steel tube with something, probably another explosive. I landed on a patch of steady ground and shot a large disc of wind in their direction, followed by several more.

They got off a third shot, then were blown off their feet by the missiles. The remaining explosives were triggered, and the whole setup and crew were consumed by the blast. "One more, guys! Hang on!"

The last shot connected, and the path crumbled altogether. Fluttershy (the one I thought I had seen before- maybe I knew her in school or something) began hovering herself, but everyone else began to fall. I surveyed the situation, and, in a spurt of adrenaline, threw my blade with all my strength, using wind to make it fly even faster. It stuck fast in the rock nearer the edge, and Twilight grabbed hold of it by the hilt, her only lifeline.

I dashed down, grabbed Pinkie (The crazy looking one. As it turns out, I actually _under_estimated the extent of her craziness. Still, best spear user I'd seen in a while) and brought her down to the ground level below. I could see Fluttershy following my lead and doing the same with Rarity. I could also see Apple Jack working her way down to Twilight, who was still clinging to the weapon.

I was about to rush up and help them, but saw several more beings- the same as in the stadium- approaching fast. "Ah..." I started, trying to piece together a plan. "Fluttershy, can you go help the other two get down?"

"Ah, I- I can try..." She nodded and flew off.

"Pinkie, Rarity-" I looked to each of my allies left fighting, then to my own lack of a weapon. "... Oh, boy. This'll be fun... Well, let's just hold out until the others get down here, huh?"

"No- problemo!" Pinkie said, preforming a fancy spinning move with her spear, ending with her brandishing it toward the enemy.

"I'll do my best..." Said Rarity, bringing her smaller sword to bear.

I myself attempted to summon another wind attack, only to realize I had already overused it lately, and was out of energy for it. _Not even that? Man, how the heck am I going to do this...?_

The three of us stayed in a centered group, allowing the enemy to come to us. I readied myself as best I could, and soon the enemy was upon us. I did a backflip (much less impressive when you have wings) and kicked one clear over our heads and behind me, then punched another to the ground with enough force to make it disappear. I kicked another back, then flew up and slammed both fists into a fourth.

"Heads up!" I heard Apple Jack call from behind me. I turned, and jumped to catch my sword, which she had tossed my way. She had managed to descend the cliff with Twilight, and both were already fighting. Fluttershy was hovering higher above, trying to stay out of the range of the beasts.

I gripped my weapon once again, and tore into the creatures on my own, dashing just above the ground and preforming all sorts of deadly techniques. I finished by grabbing it with two hands and cross-slashing three, ending with my feet on the ground. I looked around, and since the rest seemed to have been taken care of, began to make my way back to the others.

A ferocious roar from behind stopped me short. Sword still in hand, I whipped around, and some distance away, a huge creature stood. 'Creature' was about as descriptive as I could get- it mostly looked like a lion, but had horns of some sort and bat wings.

"Seriously?" I said, already beginning to wear out after two fights and no rest. Still, I hefted my weapon again and jumped back, joining the others. "She's not gonna make this easy for us, is she? AJ, let's move!"

"Right!" She said, once again keeping things short and sweet (also seeming to be too preoccupied to tell me not to call her 'AJ'). She hefted her weapon, brandishing it in the direction of the beast, followed shortly by the other two melee fighters. Twilight was last to ready herself, clearly not used to such a large foe or this much combat.

"Go!" I charged forward, diving to the side practically next to the thing and rolling around the side, slicing it in the back. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Apple Jack doing the same, but no-one else had moved yet.

I was about to yell back, but the creature turned, and after a bit of dodging, slammed me to the ground. I hit the earth hard and rolled back to the rest of the group, my head spinning.

I pulled myself to my feet with effort, facing the others. "Don't just stand there! Get moving!" I jumped back in, this time followed by Pinkie and, more reluctantly, Rarity and Twilight. I brought my sword down over my head as I was running, and it collided with the beast's claw, again with enough force to send me reeling. I landed on my feet, shaking my head. _This is not going to be easy... Wait a minute..._

I looked around frantically. _Where'd Fluttershy go? _I turned my attention to directly above the creature. At some point it, seemed she had flown up there, and looked like she was preparing something, possibly a spell. _What's she doing? Agh, I gotta keep that beast busy until she can escape..._

I charged again, joining Rarity somewhere along the way. We caught it off guard while it was fighting Apple Jack around the other side, but it was able to counter us barely after our first hit. It was simply too fast- and showed no signs of wearing down. _At this rate..._

All of a sudden, everything stopped. From above, a blissful song melody wafted, though in a completely indefinable language. It didn't take much effort to realize it was Fluttershy singing (Though from what I'd seen, it certainly wasn't what I was expecting- she seemed much too timid to draw attention to herself like that. And when I looked back to the beast, I was again surprised.

It had become placid upon hearing the song, even though it had attacked viciously and without provocation just before. And as the music ended, it seemed to loose interest in our group and simply wandered off, back into the deep forest. I thought I could see a slight wisp of smoke waft from it just as it left view, much like what the smaller beings were made of.

We all (save for Fluttershy) let out a bated breath. I loosened my iron grip on my weapon, and surveyed the damages the team had taken. A few scratches here and there, but nothing major it seemed. However, Twilight seemed to be overreacting to one of her own wounds.

"Ah, that thing was tough..." She said, nursing a claw mark on her arm. "Shouldn't be too hard to heal though..." She cast a low-power healing spell, sealing it up easily.

"Hey, Leader." I called over sarcastically. "While you were busy with your near-fatal wound, _I _made sure the rest of the team was okay. You're welcome." I could tell she understood what I was getting at, but she didn't respond immediately.

I turned to Fluttershy. "What _was_ that?" I asked curiously.

She had been zoned out for a bit- watching the beast trudge back into the forest and out of sight. "Oh, uh... Well, I learned it from someone a few years ago... someone from another place, far away. I'm not sure how it works, but... It just, makes people calmer. Or creatures. I... I try to use it whenever I can. He was being influenced by Luna's power, it looked like, plus, it just doesn't seem right to kill when it's just hurt feelings on the line."

"Good point." I said. Then, as more of an after point: "I doubt we could have killed him if we wanted to, anyway..."

**Chapter Four**

**EverFree Forest**

After the rest of the party was prepared, we plotted a new course along what looked like it may have been a road at one point in its life, but was vastly disused even by the forest's standards, at the bottom of the gorge. Though Twilight was loathe to let me take the helm of the group, everyone else realized we needed someone more skilled to take point- so I ended up leading the group through the mess of a path, while Apple Jack brought up the rear.

I sliced yet another stray branch out of the way, silently growing impatient with the amount of effort it was taking to travel so short a distance. _Luna isn't making this easy on us... I can't expect she'd expect someone with my mindset seeking her out, though..._ I kept my thoughts to myself, hoping to preserve whatever morale the group had at this point.

_It's been fight after fight so far... Still, I think Fluttershy's performance back there may have had some positive effect on them. Then again, I don't think that'll be enough to push us _all _the way through..._

All of a sudden, the brush ended, giving way to a wide river. The water was extremely choppy. I grabbed a stick, hovered over to the deepest point, but it wouldn't reach the bottom even with my arm fully submerged. _We could always fly them over, I suppose... Might take longer than it needs to, but what other options do we have to choose from...?_

I was about to fly back to the shore to confer with the others, but was suddenly slammed into from behind, connecting with the opposite bank a moment later. With effort, I pulled my stiffening frame off the ground, turning quickly to face the river, sword drawn and ready for combat.

If my spirits had any room to drop after the previous battle, they certainly did now. No less than a huge river-dragon, teeth barred, eyes blackest of pitch, stared me down, towering a good story above me. _I'm beginning to wonder if this is even remotely worth it. Ah... Alright, his eyes are totally black._ I thought, avoiding a pot-shot fireball with less than maximum effort. _They usually aren't, if those old stories he used to tell me are true, which goes without saying. Could he be blinded into rage, by Luna's magic, perhaps?_

The dragon abruptly turned about- Twilight had thrown several low-power fireballs at him, mainly to distract him. I used the opportunity to yell to them- "He's been blinded! He's not truly against us- he can't tell the difference this way!"

They nodded, and after a moment, Rarity sent a shot of light magic straight over his head, which, curiously, his eyes followed before it vanished. He then picked up where he left off- trying to crush the others with his tail. _She may be on to something. Perhaps his affliction isn't total... _

I found enough spare magic energy to launch a large but un-concentrated mass of wind his way, enough to draw his attention my way. He swept his tail over the ground, I jumped powerfully over the attack, using a balance of weak attacks to keep him busy. Between attacks, I glimpsed what was going on across the stream- mainly, I kept my eye on Rarity, because I had a feeling she had a plan. Or at the very least, I hoped she did. Her grabbing a large stone- powering up another light spell- It looked like she was trying for _something, _but it was hard to tell what.

I continued to dodge his hits and supply my own, until his attention once again was brought to the other group, in the form of Apple Jack tossing a rock at him. It appeared to have been under the direction of Rarity, who drew his attention once again with a sphere of light. She brought it slowly down towards herself, then dispersed it. In it's place was an even brighter one- an incredible luminescence focused in the stone.

She stepped forward apprehensively, setting the rock near the water, the dragon keeping his snout pointed towards her curiously. "For you." She said, trying to keep her voice clear and level. He sniffed at it for a moment, then used his tail to scoop it up, holding it close, testing its distance, and generally just experimenting with it.

He turned his attention to her once again, and in a low, slightly disused sounding voice, asked simply: "Why?"

_So it's true. I'd heard dragons were highly intelligent beings, and were capable of speech. Still, it's a bit odd, seeing a being so different speaking so clearly. _

"Did Nightmare Moon do this to you?" She inquired politely. He confirmed. "We're on our way to the old castle in the center of the woods, to acquire the Elements of Harmony and defeat her. Keep that stone with you- that light will guide you through until we restore light to the world."

Personally, I thought this was just a tiny bit much, but the dragon seemed pleased by it. He spoke again. "This is quite a symbolic gift, to be sure. In return, I must warn you- Nightmare Moon is not your only enemy here, nor is she necessarily your prime target. Things may seem black and white enough now- but keep alert."

He set the stone down on the bank, lifted a large fallen tree, and laid it across the river as a bridge. He then retrieved the stone. "Go now, to the ruin. Find your fate, young ones."

We crossed the bridge, the others complimenting Rarity on her solution, but I stayed behind for a moment. "Sir... Was it really Luna who did this?"

He waited a moment before answering. "Or someone who claimed to be." He replied, working his way down the river.

The forest only got stronger past that- Soon it got to the point where I could hardly see the ground directly in front of me. Rarity and Twilight both used low-powered light and fire spells to try and cast some light, but it only lit a small area around it. Branches grew rampant along the path, and for the most part I stayed at the head, slicing them apart as I went.

The branches began to recede, but the darkness refused to abate. Soon the path widened into a wide circle, free of rubble- but still blacker than night. The path continued on the other side. We were preparing to cross, but we suddenly became aware of something standing in the center of the clearing.

A lone figure, glowing with dull illumination, like the dying embers of a great fire. A battered yet otherwise unremarkable sword sat in its hand, and its blank eyes stared us down with half-interest. Before we could make a move against it, the sword flew into the air, landing in its hand in a battle stance.

I was prepared to fight, but before Apple Jack or I could react, another stepped forward, lance over her shoulder. "My turn." Pinkie stated simply, spinning the weapon and bringing it to bear.

The being charged, and when Pinkie blocked, it dashed to the side and hit again. Her reflexes kept up with ease, blocking each attack, quicker and quicker. The luminescent figure hardly seemed to be moving anymore- appearing now to simply teleport from attack to attack. Sword flew to slash, Lance spun to counter. Pinkie stood her ground, parrying every hit.

A change occurred suddenly. Pinkie's very demeanor seemed to shift- she dropped her stance, smirking darkly, blocking much more aggressively. For every two hits the being dealt, she gave a counter-attack, and the being was hit each time. It's speed was its defense, and it could not defend without abandoning the offense. Soon it dropped its strategy altogether, blocking each lightning-fast shot at it, the two locked in a vicious dance to the death invisible to the naked eye.

And just like that, it was over. Pinkie stood in the center of the clearing, the figure limp, impaled on her weapon. Its illumination began to fade, and the forest became visible once again. When normal light had returned, the being vanished altogether.

I turned to Apple Jack, who seemed just as stunned. _She somehow just knew to fight that thing. She knew how it would fight, and knew she could kill it. And my god, where did that fighting skill come from? _

We decided to rest in the clearing for a few minutes, gathering our thoughts, recovering our strength. Twilight had started us a small campfire. "Hey." I said, thoughtfully. "I was thinking about what Pinkie said a bit ago- about it being her turn... I think she might be on to something. Each of these fights- the more major ones- seem to be almost tailor-made for one of us. Like, almost to test us. The one with Pinkie, the dragon and Rarity, the beast from before and Fluttershy-"

"And I had to fight a bunch of fliers on the way down the mountainside with Twilight." Apple Jack added.

"Oh, really?" I asked, curious. "Huh, I didn't notice, fighting all those evil-dog things. Sorry." She brushed the apology aside. "So, I'd be willing to bet, all of us are going to have to do something like somewhere along the line on this journey. Which means..." I looked to Twilight. "It's either you or me next."

We gathered what few supplies we had spread out, and ventured further into the woods. On the other side of the thick forest, a large canyon stretched out before us. A large building- the castle we had been working towards- loomed on the other side.

"Finally." Twilight said, relieved. "All we need to do is get over there and we can head back to town."

"Yeah, that would be nice, but I'm just going to stop you there for a minute. Do you happen to see something wrong with this picture?" I retorted.

She looked around, and quickly found what I was referring to. "There's no bridge? Well, we made one before, didn't we?"

I scanned the edge of the drop, searching for a narrow place to put that plan into action. I found instead a dock where a bridge used to be, and I could see that there was still something tied to it this end. I flew over and peered over the edge, and saw that the majority of the bridge was still there, a rope bridge that was likely sliced at some point.

"There's the remains of a bridge over here. Anybody got a rope on them?" Apple Jack retrieved a length from her pack. (I didn't bother asking why she had it in the first place- in all the time I'd known her, I'd learned she was nothing if not prepared.) "Sit tight, I'll get over there and fix it."

I jumped down the cliff and let myself free fall for a moment, then banked up and grabbed the end bridge, checking the old rope quickly for durability. _Doesn't seem too rotten. This was cut, it would be fine otherwise. We'll be fine if I just tie it off again._

I kicked off the wall and flew over to the other edge, tied the rope around the bridge in an unnecessarily complicated and aimless, but solid knot, then affixed it to the first stake in the ground. I used my sword to slice off the other half of the rope, and was preparing to tie off the other side, when I heard something indistinct from behind me.

I turned, and saw three figures, all in unmarked armor, all battle-ready. One wielded a sword, one brandished a spear, and the third hefted an axe- though all three weapons were very basic.

"Well." I said, resting my had on my weapon. "I guess it's my turn then."

**Chapter Five**

**Castle of Dawn Ruins**

**Outer Fields**

I waited for the three before me to make a move, but they simply stood their ground- they didn't even seem hostile. The one with the lance stepped forward.

"Oh, thank goodness, we weren't the only ones to come out here." He said, seeming relieved to see me. "Me and my guys charged in here right after the mess back at town- there's some crazy powerful stuff out here, and we figured we might be able to turn it against Nightmare Moon."

_I didn't realize we were trying to get here before others..._ I was a bit skeptical, but not any more than I usually was. "Ah. Hey, I don't think I've met any of you before. You from out of town?"

"Yeah. We're traveling mercenaries- happened to be in the area, decided to stay for a while and catch the show. Plus, we figured there'd be some reward in it for finding this stuff, maybe helping defeat her ourselves. Only problem is... Nightmare Moon had the same idea. She knew this was here, and she knew someone would try to go for it."

"I know. My group ran into a bunch of her minions, plus some natives she turned against us."

"It's not just that- we made it to the castle, and she had come here herself- we didn't stand a chance." This actually came as a surprise. "Two more of my men are holding her off, but she'll be through them and out here before long. We need help."

I thought for a moment. "Well, if we can get by while she's distracted, we _could _get to the weapons before she notices, and turn the tables against her." They nodded. "But we're going to need more backup than that. I'm in a mercenary group myself, and I got my partner, plus a few extras here with me. Let me just get the bridge here, bring the rest of my team over-"

"There's no time!" He exclaimed. "If we wait much longer, my troops will get slaughtered. We have to move now!"

_Ah... I see it. _"Let me just tie this off, I'll let them catch up. At the very least, I'm not going in without my partner watching my back." _Let's see how set they are. I'll bet anything they're just trying to remove me from the rest of the group. _

They appeared to want to argue further, but stopped in their tracks. Their heads dropped, then rose again a moment later, eyes glowing red. _Wait, are they being possessed? Were they... not her minions to begin with? _

They charged. The axeman swung wildly my way, and I blocked his weapon, rolled behind him, and hit him with the blunt edge of my sword. He collapsed, unconscious, but alive. _Maybe I can get Fluttershy to do what she did with the other thing. If these guys aren't illusions, we could use them for backup._

I parried the swordsman next, blocking each hit with my own blade. I ducked under one and kicked his feet out from under him, sending him to the ground. He hit his head hard, and stayed down.

I turned to the leader again, who had readied his lance and was charging me. I dodged one hit, then deflected another with my weapon. With my left arm, I rammed him with my elbow, sending him reeling. He charged again, and I jumped, hitting him square on the top of his head with the hilt of the sword.

All three lay on the ground for a moment, then vanished in the same smoke we'd seen before. _So they were illusions? But they were clearly being overpowered, and they completely dropped their old strategy in favor of just killing me. Could they have been possessed by another...? I guess they could have just realized I wasn't falling for it, and wanted to finish me before I got any further, but... They would have just done it then. The eye- thing wasn't necessary at all._

"Hey, if you're done fighting them, would you mind finishing the bridge?" Twilight interrupted my thoughts impatiently. I shook it off, grabbed the rest of the rope, and repaired the walkway fully. The others came over swiftly, and Applejack walked over to me.

"What was that? We saw you talking with them before- they haven't tried that yet with any of us."

"I know. I... I think, whoever is doing this, is trying to mess with my head, make me uncertain."

"Whoever...?" She questioned. "You're saying it's not Nightmare Moon?"

"I can't be sure. I know those dog- things are hers, but those guys- they were taken over somehow- their orders were changed, possibly by an outside source. Yet they disappeared just the same as the dogs. It seems like someone decided what they were doing wasn't going to work, and took over. At the very least... Perhaps Luna isn't at the top of all this.

"It's a thought." She answered. "It all could be just to get you turned around though- don't forget that."

The others were gathered near a ruined stone wall. The two of us walked over to it, gazing out upon the castle.

"The Castle of Dawn..." Twilight said in awe. "One of the three great castles of Equestria. This, the Eclipse Castle, and Castle Dusk once stood proud as centers of civilization- the only inhabited places on the continent. Eclipse now exists as the center of all life in Equestria, and Celestia's own ruling throne, while Dawn and Dusk lie quietly in ruin..."

"What happened?" Fluttershy asked quietly.

"War." She answered simply. "The three hadn't been on good terms for a long time, and they opened fire on each other five hundred years ago. The two ruling sisters of Eclipse had victory before them, but Luna, taking advantage of the distraction, whipped up a rebellion, and quite nearly took the kingdom out herself. Celestia harnessed the power of the Elements, and sealed her away, unable to do more.

That war went on for several years, and at the end, there was very little left to live on. The remnants flocked to Eclipse- the ultimate victor of the war by a hair- and formed what would become modern Equestria."

I had to admit, it was an interesting story. To see such a pitiful remain as this, and imagining it as it once was- a grand structure surrounded by people, instead of vegetation- such things stood to remind us of our own mortality, and of the world in whole. And Twilight's recounting of Luna's imprisonment was as I had heard it before, but my doubt still remained. _Celestia was the one to remain, so the story was told as she wrote it. But is it really the whole truth...?_

"Let's go." I said, breaking the silence. "Our enemy won't wait for us to wrap up with this. So let's not keep them waiting, eh?" I drew my weapon and turned to face the castle. _Those three... They said Luna herself is here, but they were her summons. Yet they were stopped on their current path. Could... Could they honestly have meant to warn us? Could Luna... have wanted us to know?_

The others stepped forward and joined me in a line, all with weapons unsheathed. _A little extra caution either way never hurt anyway. _Applejack stood to my right, and to hers was Fluttershy. _Whatever happens, I know I can count on AJ not to botch things up. I've known her my whole life, and I know out of anyone, I can count on her to be there. _

_Fluttershy... There's something different in her. She's got no fighting skill to speak of, but I still feel some degree of respect for her. Perhaps it's her ability to get through conflicts without violence..._

To my left was Twilight, who actually stood a bit further ahead, ready to lead the charge. To hers was Rarity, then Pinkie. _I can't say I like Twilight in the slightest, but I have to give her credit- she's one heck of a mage. Plus, she's the apprentice to the Queen, right? Might not be a bad idea to stay on her good side- and anyway, having someone that close to her could pay in dividends. _

_Rarity- Everyone knows of her around town, but I don't think many people actually _know _her. I always thought of her as just another noble, but... I can see potential in her sword, and... something else in her eyes._

_And Pinkie... I can't even judge how far her skill goes, but what I've seen is impressive, to say the least. She's a bit off, yes, but I guess a lot of what I thought I saw was just cheerfulness, much more than I've ever known myself. I wouldn't mind spending some time with her after this._

_But then... Where do I fit in here? I can fight, yes, I serve as a leader, but maybe just for lack of someone better. And I can fly better than anyone in town, I won't down-talk myself there. But as a person... I'm just an outcast with a burning grudge. _

But I pushed these thoughts aside. _There's no time for that. I need to get to the bottom of this mess, and see who's really pulling the strings. And I have to do it quick- whoever it is, our little town is still threatened regardless._

We silently confirmed we were all ready to go, and took off at a brisk pace. Along the way I could see more of the grand city that used to be- ancient stone walls, covered in moss- rusty weapons stuck in the ground. Very little else remained here to be swallowed by time.

We approached the castle, which- even in ruin- was a sight to behold. The spires that remained still pierced the sky, and the battlements, though rusted and choked with vines, still faced their enemy and guarded their castle loyally. The grand ceilings that once soared overhead inside, though, now lay in pieces on the ground. Rain had weathered the halls, and only the skeleton of what was once no doubt a beautiful place remained.

We continued on, to the center of the inner courtyard, where a fountain- like structure still stood, surrounded by tall grass and weeds. Five arms, equally spaced around the statue, held five spheres aloft in the air. While all around the structure- even right up to it's base, was ruined- the stone figure itself remained smooth and unweathered.

The spheres themselves seemed to radiate this property- each had a unique design carved into it's surface- a suit of armor, an arrow bathed in light, a sword engraved in an ancient language, a yin-yang symbol, and a blade in the shape of a bolt of lightning.

"These are them. The Elements of Harmony." Twilight breathed, approaching the fountain.

I could feel the power behind the artifacts, but... How were we supposed to use them as weapons? "Weren't there supposed to be six, anyway?" I could see a place for a final sphere, a sixth arm reaching skyward- but it was empty-handed.

"The sixth is said to be revealed when the other five are harnessed- the sixth arm of the statue is more of a formality, I'd imagine. An acknowledgement that it exists at all."

"Well, let's get these out of here, figure out how to use them. No need to stay here longer than we need to." I glided over to one of them, snapped it from its place, and brought it to the ground. I repeated this for two others, while Fluttershy joined me and removed the last two. Each of us, save for Twilight, grabbed one, and we set off for the courtyard once again.

However, near the doorway, black smoke wafted in from beneath the cobble, and soon the black- armored figure stood before us once again.

**Chapter Six**

**Castle of Dawn Ruins**

**Grand Hall**

Luna, Nightmare Moon, The Fallen Ruler, now stood before us, weapon in hand. It was a sword of darkness- with smaller blades jutting out from the sides, and unnecessarily large. It was a formidable weapon, but hung passively at her side. She didn't come off as angry or displeased, but she blocked the doorway clearly enough.

"So, you made it this far..." She said, sounding almost tired. "I'm impressed. However, I'm afraid I still can't let you stand in my way. The Queen must fall."

I was almost able to speak before Twilight burst in with a response. "We won't be deterred. We'll stop you here, and protect the Princess!"

She sighed. "Is that how you all feel?" Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie nodded after some hesitation. Applejack waited, seeming a bit conflicted.

"Ah, if I could ask something..." I said, stepping forward. "What exactly is it you plan to do? After removing the queen, of course."

"I have no such plans. I only know she must not be allowed to continue this madness." She responded. _Now if I can just..._

"I don't care! I will not allow you to even attempt an overthrow again!" Twilight exclaimed, once again ruining what I had going. "You will be stopped."

Luna seemed almost disappointed at this. "Fine. If you'd rather die here than see a better world, I'll be happy to oblige you." She brought her sword to bear before her, then dashed forward towards the group. _Damnit, Twilight! _I thought, dropping the stone sphere and dodging away from the enemy, who flew past and landed near the other exit. She dashed over to the group, swinging in wide and wicked fast arcs, making dodging difficult.

I could see that I had lost my chance for diplomacy, and acted accordingly. I launched myself towards her, swinging my sword from behind. She blocked effortlessly, and we became locked in and endless series of swings-and-blocks, neither ever able to land a single hit. The others tried to attack at the same time, but she was able to block them in between. Her next attack came quicker than I could track it, and I was only able to provide a mediocre block, launched backward in the process.

I collided with a wall, and my vision swam for some time before I was able to pull myself to my feet again. Pinkie had attacked as well, using the same strange technique as before, matching each of Luna's attacks and even managing to land a hit or two. However, so was Luna. She jumped back, flew forward, and delivered a strike so powerful Pinkie flew to the opposite wall, ramming it at full speed and falling unconscious.

Across the hall, I could see Fluttershy, trying to make an escape, possibly to find backup, possibly simply to avoid getting killed. I wasn't about to stop her- she couldn't fight anyway, and she'd be safer elsewhere. Unfortunately, Luna spun around, seeming to have known the whole time, and launched a ball of darkness her way. It hit her square in the chest, and she fell to the ground, out cold.

_We have to get out of this. Our team is falling to pieces, and there's no way we can beat her like this... _Applejack jumped into the air while Luna's back was turned, reaving through her armor with her axe. Luna turned and made short work of her, hitting her with the blunt edge of her weapon and launching her as well.

I blasted forward, flailing my weapon wildly at her. She continued to block, but I was gaining ground. She began to back up, having to act more quickly to parry my strikes. Soon I nearly had her against the wall. She jumped back, kicked off against the wall, and corkscrewed towards me. I attempted to block, but she changed direction when she was nearly upon me, hit me full force without barrier, and I fell.

She moved on to deal with Twilight, and while I tried to move, my wounds had accumulated for too long, and I found I could scarcely drag myself along at this point. Darkness swam at the edges of my vision, and the last thing I could make out clearly before I passed out from the pain was a large fireball, and Luna's sword holding it back.

Twilight's most trusted spell, ArcFire, collected into a huge sphere, and as she brought her arms down, it flew towards Nightmare Moon full force. She brought up her blade to catch it, but even she had difficulty containing it. Wisps of fire licked at her sword, and flares illuminated her ashen armor. It brightened and exploded satisfyingly, sending the Fallen Royal reeling to the other side of the room.

_She's not experienced with magic, it seems. If we can get her weakened this way..._ Twilight thought. She looked around, looking for others who were still conscious. Rarity stood off to the side, gripping her rapier, panting and weakened. Their eyes met, and they nodded.

The two jumped together, and both began casting a spell, focusing the two in one point. ElThunder and Shine- an overpowering light, crackling with energy, began forming between them. It began to take shape, flattening and sharpening, and soon it resembled a giant, heavenly shuriken.

With a grunt from both, the spell shot forward, blindingly bright and ready to explode with pent-up power. Nightmare Moon couldn't help but see it barreling towards her, and dodged out of the way just enough to avoid the brunt of the blast. It hit the corner of the castle, blasting the wall to pieces and sending a parapet crashing down in the center of the hall. Shrapnel from the castle and shockwaves from the spell buffeted the ebon armor, but when it rose, it blasted from its places among the rubble and simply swatted Rarity aside, causing her to collapse off to the side. Unconscious, or too battered to move, she now left Twilight to face Luna alone.

Neither slowed, neither backed down. Twilight launched spell after spell her way, alternating between thunder and fire with no discernible pattern, while they were all blocked or dodged. None possessed the power behind the last two, and they no longer fazed Nightmare Moon, who had grown impatient with the resilience of the party.

She cast a powerful dark spell on her own weapon, which now seemed to not only dwarf, but absorb the very light around it. She brought it down with both hands, and Twilight could do naught but fall back and raise her arms to soften the blow. She closed her eyes...

The sword collided with metal, and the darkness within darted away to various corners of the ruin. She opened her eyes, and saw, standing over her with spear dug into the earth, Pinkie. Blood from above covered her face, darkening her hair with its stain, but still she stood strong, teeth barred viciously. It transformed into a sarcastic grin, and she backflipped, grabbing Twilight's arm and dashing for the exit.

As Luna attempted to stop them, a darkened figure dashed forward between them. It had the exact shape of Pinkie, and brandished a spear equally black, though made no noise, remained expressionless, and remained between Luna and the exit.

Pinkie continued to run, moving past all the remains of the city, and when they reached the bridge, she moved to the side and jumped. Twilight, who's wounds had caught up with her, could find no energy to scream, and merely closed her eyes again and waited for the end. The two free-fell for a time, then abruptly collided with water.

They surfaced, and Pinkie dragged Twilight to shore. She looked around, taking stock of the new situation from the ground. At the bottom of the canyon, it seemed, was a river, and to the side there was a small gravelly shore. Pinkie returned to the waterfront from a bit further away, dragging behind her a shabby raft of driftwood.

She set it down and looked out thoughtfully. From above, a wispy shadow fell, disappearing as it reached Pinkie. "She'll be forced to keep the others alive for the time being, but she won't be able to follow us yet. We'll need to take the river back to town if we're to have any chance."

Twilight sat up, shaking her head. "Pinkie, what are you talking about? What even happened back there, and how do you know this will lead back? And how did you know this was here to begin with?"

"I used to escape here when I was little, and the raft was kind of a way for me to pass the time hanging out here. I didn't realize it was the same place when we passed it, but when I passed out, I saw it in a vision- the two locations lined up, and I knew we'd be alright if we jumped. As for what happened... I can't say. I've always been almost a different person when things heat up, like that battle in the clearing, and... I don't know, maybe there's more to it. It was almost like that second and I separated for a minute, and it covered us while we escaped."

Twilight looked a bit skeptical at this. "I won't even pretend I understand it myself. I always just trust my gut on things like that, and it always gets me through. Anyway, Luna'll no doubt want to destroy the elements, but she won't be able to unless they're all present. And as it stands..." She reached into her pack, pulling forth one of the spheres, the one engraved with the yin-yang. "They aren't. And unless she keeps the others as a bargaining chip, she knows she'll never get this one back. Now we need to head for home, and get backup. No offense, but Dash was right- we were _way _undermanned."

The two dragged the raft into the water, climbed aboard, and floated down the stream in silence.

**Chapter Seven**

**Castle of Dawn Ruins**

**Eastern Prison Block**

Awareness didn't immediately come back to me- the first thing I could tell wasn't a dream, was myself being walked down a narrow hall. I couldn't make out many details, save for what I assumed were the others being brought forward with me, and the dull lights of the torches on the walls.

The next thing I could recognize was lying on the floor, in a small-ish stone room without much decoration. My vision was still hazy, but I could see out into the hallway, though only in a square the size of the wall. _Could be bars, too thin to make out like this. Makes sense. So, we're in a cell...?_

I saw a pair of legs walking up from behind, and I heard my name. _AJ?_ With effort, I pushed myself up from the ground, and after the blood got flowing again and my vision stopped swimming, I was able to see more clearly. We were in a cell, and Applejack was talking to me, though I had to focus more than usual to get anything out of it. "... woke up! We were starting to get worried. Boy, you seem like you took a lot of beating- Let's get you off the ground."

I took her outstretched hand and let her pull me to my feet, and I could feel my senses returning. My ears stopped ringing, though there was nothing else to hear, and I was able to discern more details of the room. Along with the two of us, Rarity and Fluttershy were also in the cell, both still out cold. Rarity's expensive armor and weapon- and indeed all of ours- had been taken unsurprisingly.

"Wait... We're missing two." I pointed out.

"Yeah. Can't say what happened to 'em. Twilight, I could see her being pulled off to the side, but I can't think of a reason they'd do the same for Pinkie... Maybe they escaped?"

"Maybe." I became aware that, while still paining me, all our wounds had been bandaged and the blood staunched. "Hey, they patched us up... Why'd they do that?"

"Gosh, gimmie a question I can answer, why don't you... Only thing I can think of is she might want us alive for something."

I thought about that for a while. _It's not like we have completely unique skills here. If she really needed them, she could get someone else easily enough. Sure, Fluttershy's singing is new, but I can't see Luna having a need for that. The only thing left is... We're collateral. The town has something she wants, and she'll try to trade us for it. But... what? _

**EverFree Forest**

**Forgotten Stream**

As the rough bundle of driftwood made its way down the river, the moss began to recede from the towering rock walls- which began to become shorter themselves. Soon the stone was clear, then it was behind them, with only green fields on the sides. Night still hung heavy on the land, though the sun would begin its ascent within the hour.

While Pinkie kept herself alert, the blood flow stopped with a bit of cloth and washed off in the river, Twilight began to tire, and was soon asleep on the shabby craft. Her companion didn't make a move to keep her awake, instead maneuvering the raft homeward in solitude.

Time passed uneventfully. No-one pursued the duo, and they made their way quietly, though far from peacefully, forward. As the sun began to rise, the irregular outlines of town became visible on the horizon. Pinkie stabbed her spear into the earth, holding fast and bringing the raft to a halt.

"Halfway there." She muttered. She looked to Twilight, who was still fast asleep. Sympathetically, she pulled her over her back, docked the raft, gripped her spear in her right hand, and set off.

The walk back to town went by uneventfully as well, and before long they had reached the outer edges. A watch seemed to have been established, as various armed townspeople were visible patrolling around the borders. Two caught sight of the pair, and they made no attempt to run as the guards caught up to them and escorted them back.

After conferring with a few others, Pinkie gathered Twilight had been staying in a back room of the town library, and brought her there. As she entered the room, she was spun around from behind, thrown to the ground, and relieved of her companion. When she jumped to her feet, she saw that it had been Twilight's guardian.

He had brought her over to her bed, and was scanning her for wounds. Sheepishly, Pinkie explained the situation- that the six of them had travelled into the forest to retrieve the Elements, the trials they had passed, and their final battle. "I patched up her bigger wounds as best I could, but it couldn't hurt to get someone who knows what their doing to take a look."

He sat at the edge of the bed, rubbing his chin. "The others, then. They're still there?"

"Yeah. Way I see it, she'll keep them alive. She'll need something to trade for this." She showed him the Element, which she had kept in her pack and out of sight before. "She can't destroy any of them without having them all first, and I'd guess she wants to destroy them."

"Then we've got time. I think it goes without saying we're not trading anything. We're breaking them out and dealing with Luna ourselves."

She nodded. "I know a few people around here. We'll get reinforcements, and she won't stand a chance."

"Right. I'd better stay here, make sure Twilight doesn't do anything else shortsighted like that. But when we march, you've got my support. The name's Spike, by the way."

Pinkie made her way through the halls of the library, but as she opened the door to leave, she was stopped by a large figure, though he was unarmed. He wore simple clothes- just jeans and a white shirt- and had long blond hair tied in a ponytail behind him.

"What happened?" He asked simply.

"Oh, Mac. I was just about to try and find you." She said. She proceeded to explain things to him as well. "We're trying to get reinforcements to storm the ruins, and take the others back. And I figured this was the kind of thing you'd be interested in doing."

He thought before answering. "I swore years ago that I wouldn't lift a weapon again unless it was to protect the ones I care about. And my sister is still in there. Yeah, this counts. I'll go nab my weapon, and whichever of my cousins can fight. Meet here?"

"Sure." He took off for the ranch near the edge of town, and Pinkie in the opposite direction.

Over the course of the day, Rarity and Fluttershy both came to, and we began discussing in hushed tones what could be done in our current situation. Our options were pretty abysmal- most consisted of waiting until Luna made the first move.

_Now that Twilight's out of the picture for a while, maybe I can try talking to her again. She didn't seem to even have interest in taking over afterwards. She just wants Celestia to fall. If that's really it..._

"There is another option, but..." Applejack started, looking out the window, blocked off by three vertical bars.

"What is it? If it could get us out of here quicker, it's worth a try." Rarity said.

"How deep into the wall d'you suppose the iron goes? How far from the window would we have to get to get solid stone?" She stepped up to the window, testing the bars.

"Actually, I might have a spell for that. Let me see..." Rarity stepped up as well, muttered a few words, then held her hand, which now emitted a dull radiance, up to the wall below the window. She thought for a moment, then tested the top and sides.

"It's not very deep." She said at last. "No more than half a foot, if that."

"We can work with that. Dash, I'll need you to get in on this too."

I nodded, then she dug under one of the bunks and retrieved two hand-sized stones, and tossed me one. Seeing the coast was clear, she set to work, using the stone to chip away below where the bars ended. _Carving our way out? The brickwork is pretty old, so I guess it won't be impossible... _I went over and, hovering to stay out of Applejack's way, set to work on the top.

It was slow work, but soon the wall began to chip.

Back at town, a new team had begun to take shape. In addition to Spike and Mac, Rarity's companion Opal had joined in, as well as Angel- a creature going specifically to break out Fluttershy. It was bipedal and could speak decently, but otherwise was rabbit-like. He brought with him a scythe twice his size, but seemed able to use it skillfully.

Within the hour Mac had returned to the square adjoining the library with two relatives, one with a sword and one an axe. Mac himself had brought what could only be called his weapon. It was gigantic- easily two stories in length, blood red, and had three different blades total. It was a cursed weapon- it gave him the ability to use it effortlessly, but drove him to near total insanity while he used it, and for a time afterwards. Rare was the occasion he used it.

Pinkie had also managed to round up a few town soldiers not wrapped up in guarding the town, and convinced the mayor to pay off a few local mercenaries to join. All in all, when Twilight awoke, their numbers were up to fifteen. However, Twilight had remained asleep since they had returned to town.

Pinkie re-entered the library, and saw Spike leaning outside the door, eyes closed. He stirred when she approached. "Hey, when you went in, were there any odd spells cast? One's that might not have done anything at first?"

She racked her brain for something of the sort, but came up blank. "Twilight's been getting worse. It seems like she's sick, but she was fine right up until she went asleep, right?"

"Yeah, she was up and running just before."

"Then I think something got her, a curse or something. But you're just fine. I can't help but wonder if any of the others are like this..."

**Chapter Ten**

**EverFree Forest**

**Central Road/Alternate Backroad**

"So." Twilight started as the group made their way around the collapsed path. "We'll have some time before we reach the castle. Can you clarify now, Spike?"

"I suppose it's only fair. Hey, Opal, can you come walk with us? I'm going to be telling them some things from home, I might need someone to help me fill in some blanks."

Opal, the cat-girl companion to Rarity, nodded and fell back slightly, matching pace with those who had been in the library at the time- even Angel, stoic as he was, lingered at the edge of their circle to catch the conversation. "I suppose." She said. "What did they want to know?"

"I had a theory about why Twilight and Fluttershy were awoken by music- and, it seems Fluttershy here can sing Galdrar."

Opal seemed surprised, and turned to look at Fluttershy more closely. "Really? That's strange... She's got the right wing color, but her hair is pink, not golden."

"Anyway, I think it would be easiest for understandings sake if we start the explanation now. So, back on our home continent, there were several different races- the Beorc, which are basically undistinguishable from the People of Earth and of Fire here. There were those among them who could use magic, and those who couldn't, but they didn't tend to separate themselves too much.

"Then there were the Goldoans- my people. We've got the longest lifespan of any creature, and superior strength, though we traditionally don't make a habit of fighting."

"My people are called the Gallians." Opal took over. "We live a lot like cats, unsurprisingly- we have houses, sure, but hunt and gather most of our food. Our strength is second only to the Goldoans, but our lifespan isn't as long- around twice as long as a Beorc's. Oh, did I mention we can all transform into our animals? I can be a cat, obviously, and he can turn into-"

"A dragon. I've only needed to transform once since I got here, but I'm afraid I might have to once more tonight." Twilight nodded. She remembered the sight of him, huge, terrifying, making short work of the bandits invading the town they had visited years before. _And yet... I wasn't as afraid as I thought I would be. Deep down, I could still feel him. I knew it was still Spike._

"Anyway," Spike continued. "Lastly, there's the bird tribes- The Hawks, Ravens, and Herons. They all have equal lifespans- better than the Gallians, but still far below the Goldoans. The Hawks have the best strength among them, the Ravens are decent fighters, but tend to be more about agility and stealth. Then the Herons have never been known to fight, instead opting for peaceful solutions to their conflicts. All the birds, Herons especially, live in harmony with the nature and other creatures."

Fluttershy was listening intently to this. _From what I've seen,_ Twilight thought. _It must be like he's describing her firsthand._

"About ten years ago, one of the Heron royals went missing suddenly. And Fluttershy, you said you were taught your song by someone with white wings and blonde hair? Only the royals have pure white wings- the others are lighter gray or silver, even light brown. I believe the princess and the teacher are the same person.

"See, the Herons have the ability to sing special songs- Galdrar- that do all sorts of passive- aggressive things. Cleanse corruption of body and mind, restore energy, even heal wounds. Your song, Fluttershy, I believe is the Galdr of Blessing, which clears the minds of all who hear it." She nodded again. "Did she somehow give you the power to sing them yourself, since you were so close to Heron already?"

"Well..." She started, but took some time before continuing. _This must be a hard memory to bring up._ Twilight assumed. "A few months after she arrived, she... She was really sick. She called me to her bedside and sang a song to me off a piece of scroll, one that I never heard before. A... A light, an energy of some kind, just... went from her, to me. I felt amazing physically, but... It was too much for her.

... She passed away that day. She left me two scrolls- the one she had read off of, which I never touched- I couldn't bring myself to it- and another, one with the song you heard me sing on it. I think that light she gave me let me use the songs."

"She must have crafted a new song, one that passes on the Heron power. But it must require a great deal of strength, so it's no wonder she couldn't live through it. But I wonder, if someone does survive, would they retain their own powers as well...?"

"Spike, you're talking to yourself again." Twilight pointed out kindly.

"Oh, sorry." He said, running his hand over the back of his head sheepishly. "What else was there?"

"Why songs woke us up." She said.

"Yeah, because... When I was sung to, it wasn't a Galdr or special song or anything. Rainbow Dash just sang a song."

"Well, I'm just guessing here, but I think it's just because Herons are musically attuned. You were suffering, and when, in your dream, you heard his voice, it was enough to rouse your spirits and wake you up.

"And why Twilight was sick too, again, it might have been a link going between her and the others because of the Elements- if one suffers to that extent, she feels it as well. Possibly the whole team would feel it in time, but I think Twilight will usually be the first."

Twilight took a moment to let that thought sink in. _Anything bad that happens to them will happen to me, too? _Spike turned to her, seeing her growing distress. "It's quite a burden to bear, I'll admit, but... Twilight, I don't think anyone else would be better for the job. I believe you can do it- it seems like it's a matter of keeping your team together, making sure nothing happens to them, and being responsible and fixing it when it does. But I know you'll find a way."

**Castle of Dawn Ruins**

**Prison Block**

The tension in the air was palpable. Fluttershy would have made it back to town by now, and reinforcements were bound to be on the way. The three of us sat around the cell, Rarity on one bunk, AJ and I on the other. We weren't sure exactly what we were waiting for, but we all knew something was coming. Applejack had taken the bar- rock thing from the window- it could serve as a weapon if we needed one. Rarity and I could both muster up some kind of magic in the event of a fight.

The sun had set, and once again the only light came from the worn torches in the hall. Fluttershy had escaped two hours previously, and I knew there would at least be a few people coming to break out the other two- I'd make sure to slip out with them. _Luna... I wasn't bluffing when I made my offer. Please, don't wait until it's too late... _

Rarity moved over to the window, and gave a start. "There are torches, coming this way!" Both of us jumped up to see as well. "Around twenty troops it looks like, and... What is that?"

She could only have been speaking of the Demon Sword, as I called it. The weapon belonging to brother of Applejack (and basically me as well), Mac. It towered over the rest of the troop, blood red metal visible even from here.

"Mac came?" AJ said in awe. "Sure hope Luna surrenders, for her sake."

"Now's our chance. Luna is not the enemy here- if I can talk them out of attacking her, we can earn her favor, and we might stand a chance in the long run. Come on, we have to get out of here!"

We looked over to the cell door, and began scanning it for weakness. Rarity grabbed my shoulder, motioning to a lock on the door. "It looks like that's all that's keeping it locked. If we get a powerful enough spell going, we could break it."

"Right." I stepped back slightly. "Ready?" She nodded. We both focused a decent spell on the lock, forming a sort of flowing-light attack. It filled the lock easily, and was too much for it to contain. It burst, and the spell dispersed. "Let's go! We can't have much time left!"

We ran from the cell, making our way down blindly. None of us had any idea where we were going, but we knew we were higher up in one of the back corners, so we tried to go down in general. We passed a large room from which something shined, and I backtracked slightly to see its contents.

"Guys! Armory!" I ran into the room quickly, and retrieved our weapons, as they had recently been thrown atop the pile of blades. Once we were all properly equipped with weapons, we set off again. Rarity was at first hesitant to leave without finding her armor, but knew the urgency of their trip, and was soon talked into leaving it.

We didn't get far, however. From the shadows of the hallway before us, I could clearly see the now familiar black armor gleaming in the darkness, sword in hand. "And so you choose to run, and leave me to my fate?"

I interrupted her self loathing ramblings myself this time. "I meant what I said, Luna. The deal has changed, but my offer is the same. Let me convince them of what's going on, and stop their march. I know many of them, and I know that many of them already harbor a grudge towards Celestia. I can get them to back out of the conflict, even lend us more troops."

Luna, once again, was all but speechless. "Young boy... Why would you ally yourself with me so easily?"

"Celestia's facade has been weak for years. If she didn't want enemies, she shouldn't be so good at pissing them off. I want her dead, plenty of others want her dead. You're not alone anymore, Luna. Now let me fix this mess, please."

"Ah... Alright. I'll call off my own troops. I have no desire to hurt them, but I won't let them stop me either. Please, teach them the truth."

Emboldened, I led the other two past her and through the castle, which was becoming more and more familiar, with Luna following at a distance. At last we burst through to the central courtyard once again, and saw the Elements laying exactly where we all dropped them. However, they had mysteriously darkened since then, and were completely black now.

"What happened to them?" Rarity asked, lifting one curiously.

"They became little more than rocks after you all left them. I believe they have chosen you as their bearers, and have imparted their essence to you. Which means the one who didn't receive one already... Is likely the bearer of the final Element."

_For some reason, I'm thinking it's Twilight. _"So, how do we use them, then?" I asked.

"That's just it. The sixth is only brought into this world when the others are fulfilled, and they can't be used until all six have found a place. It all must happen at once."

_So when Twilight gets hers, we'll all get our power from them. Somehow, I don't think that can happen until we're staring death in the face- ancient artifacts usually work like that, if I'm not mistaken. I have a bad feeling about this..._

The party crossed the bridge carefully, stopping as they reached the edge of the ruined town. They would go as one, and strike at Nightmare Moon all at once.

"You should all know..." Spike started. "I'm going to try and do all my fighting with my knives, but if I end up going full force- you'll know it if you see it- I'll need a few of you to hold me down for a while. Fluttershy, you could probably speed it up with your song, if you wouldn't mind."

She shook her head. "I'd be happy to. I wouldn't just let you sit there and suffer."

Mac turned slightly when he heard Spike's words. "You too? I go absolutely crazy when I use this thing, so I'll have to ask the same."

The group assembled themselves in a line, all facing the castle, and as one started forward at a run. They had gotten halfway to the ruin when they were stopped by a voice.

"Wait! Everyone stop, listen to me!" Rainbow Dash, followed by Applejack and Rarity, were running full speed from the castle towards the group. Twilight couldn't quite tell from where she stood, but she thought she saw a glint of armor near the castle for a moment, before it disappeared. The others reached the war party, panting.

"Everyone, listen." Dash spoke, addressing the crowd. "We've had a bit of a change of plans."

**Chapter Eleven**

**Castle of Dawn Ruins**

**City of Dawn **

"You guys escaped!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"Did Nightmare Moon not see you?" Twilight asked.

I took another breath before continuing. "Like I said, there's been a change of plans. I'm glad you all came to rescue us, plus it makes it that much easier to tell you all this. I've made a deal with Luna- one that works well for everyone. She wasn't sure what side anyone was on now- and I've explained to her what the world has become. She'll leave our town be, and likely the rest of Equestria, provided I help explain to everyone she isn't the enemy."

"What do you mean, she isn't the enemy?" Twilight asked. "She even said she was going to overthrow the Princess right to our faces!"

"Yes, that's true. But she was able to explain further without you interrupting. All she wants is to get her off the throne- she has no intention of touching any of the citizenry or taking the throne afterward."

"And that makes it okay in your eyes?" She shouted. "Why would you think we would allow her to stage a rebellion like that, do you think we can just let that slide?" Several among the crowd chose not to move with her, but a few did cast in their voices. "_Nightmare Moon _must be stopped! We'll protect the throne with our lives!"

She gave more emphasis to Luna's title, I suppose because she noticed I hadn't used it once, and once again several of the people standing in the crowd. One of the mercenaries raised their voice: "I can't speak for anyone else, but it's a profitable world as it is. Far as I'm concerned, Celestia can keep her precious throne, us soldiers of fortune can pick up the slack for her troops, and everyone's happy." The rest of the mercenaries agreed.

"You know why you have so much work in this world?" I argued. "Have you ever seen the royal soldiers addressing an _actual _problem? All they end up doing is buffing up the queens own defenses! She's taken people straight from our villages to train involuntarily, even children! How can you abide by that?"

"That's not true!" Twilight countered. "You know there's more monsters in this world than we can handle already, and the royal soldiers are kept hard at work with them! Of course some of them are stationed at the castle- there has to be someone to protect the Queen! And plenty of troops are volunteers- we only draft soldiers when there aren't enough to hold us afloat."

"Are you going to stand against us, Twilight? You can deny the truth to yourself all you like, but dissent will grow. Plenty of people already oppose the Queen, and more will follow. Celestia will fall."

Just as I finished speaking, a blast of darkness collided with the ground between us from behind. I spun, and saw Luna clutching her head in pain. "I'm... I'm sorry... She's... Agh!" She threw her arms and head back, then brought her gaze to bear a moment later, eyes glowing red.

"Rgh, coward!" I shouted. _I don't know how, but I think I get it. This whole mess was Celestia's plan all along. _"Why don't you get out here and fight us yourself!"

Twilight, Pinkie, and Fluttershy all jumped forward to join us, and the five of us that fought all drew our weapons. Either to fight her and protect Celestia, or to prevent the Queen from destroying her from a distance and protect Luna, we all knew one goal: take her alive.

A golden light enveloped the team as we all readied for battle, and when it cleared, it was obvious the Elements had finally kicked in. I now wore a gold sheath criss-crossing my original leather one across my back, and in my left hand was a gold broadsword identical to my normal steel one. I spun both experimentally- The weight was the same as well, but the power behind the new weapon was obvious.

I looked at the others, and saw they had been similarly re-equipped- none of the others dual-wielded their weapons like I did, but switched to the upgrades entirely. They all had each acquired a piece of gold armor- AJ now wore a shoulder-guard across her left arm, Rarity a chest plate, Pinkie a pair of bucklers, and Twilight (She had obtained a gold tome for a weapon, though I'd never seen her need one to cast spells) and a gold tiara. Fluttershy received no weapon, but now wore a light helmet.

"The rest of you- let us handle this!" Twilight called back to the crowd.

"Only until you start loosing." Mac responded. "Then she's mine." Mac could clearly see what was truly happening- and I wouldn't get in his way for the world. If anyone deserved a shot at Celestia more than me, it would be him.

I led the charge, flying at her at full speed, a blur of flailing silver and gold. Her dark sword rose to block each slice with lightning-fast reflexes. While she was occupied with me, AJ ran up and delivered a devastating slash with her new axe across her legs. She buckled for half a second, then threw herself backward and righted herself with a backflip- handstand type move.

Twilight and Rarity both charged a large spell- a huge fireball and a blinding sphere of light, and sent them both spiraling towards her at once. She was able to spin away from the brunt of the blast, but they exploded as they contacted each other, and she was sent reeling into the air in the aftershock.

Pinkie called my name, and in one glance I could tell what she planned. I nodded, she ran forward, and as she reached me, I caught her foot in my hands and launched her into the air. She pulled her lance behind her head, and she drifted towards the Princess, almost as though in slow-motion. As she brought down her spear, she seemed to vanish for a moment, then appeared behind her and delivered several lightning fast hits. Then another series, and another.

Soon it seemed as though there were two of her flying about, one glowing with light and one barely visible against the night sky. The two collided where she had started, and her powerful strike at last connected with Luna, sending her crashing to the ground.

Twilight ran forward, standing directly between everyone and the Royal. She threw out her arms dramatically, and shouted back: "One last attack, everyone! Give me your strength!" Rarity was first to comply, sending a burst of light her way, which she caught in her left hand. Pinkie sent over a swirling mass of of light and dark, and as Twilight caught it, both her arms glowed, one white, one black. AJ simply threw her axe, though it glowed with an orange radiance, and Twilight reached and grabbed it with her right hand.

From Fluttershy's direction, a ball of light glowing not so much with radiance, but sound- like a small bell giving off a mighty chime. Twilight caught this in her right hand, matching up with Rarity's offering. I was last, and decided to power up my gold sword with a wind spell and toss it her way. She caught it in her left hand, and now, glowing with energy, ran full speed towards Luna. She jumped and, focusing the whole attack on one crushing attack, brought down both weapons.

Luna was once again launched into the air, sword dropped, armor falling off in chunks. I was quick to cast a weak wind spell, easing her to the ground. Her unarmored form was a great deal less intimidating- She wore normal clothes, had long, unkempt dark violet hair, and appeared to actually be a few years younger than any of us. She was severely weakened, but alive- breaths came to her in ragged gasps for a minute after she was lowered to the ground.

Weapons retrieved and sheathed, magics dispelled, and threat ended, the six of us walked over to the small form that had been our 'enemy.' _This is what we were truly meant to be afraid of? This poor little girl? You're pathetic, Celestia. Truly pathetic. _I didn't voice these thoughts- Twilight had likely let our previous argument slip her mind in the heat of battle, and the last thing I needed was her informing Celestia of my hatred, which would inevitably lead to her keeping a much tighter grip on our town.

"What're we gonna do now?" Applejack asked quietly.

Twilight let out a small gasp. "Look!" She pointed skyward, where a small white form could be seen arcing down towards us. In my head, I swore appropriately. _As if on que. _

"Sorry, kid." I murmured, stepping back from Luna. _It's out of my hands now. Damn, and we were so close to finally gaining some ground. Well... I guess not. It all makes sense now- those soldiers from before, Luna being possessed... This was a farce to begin with. _

I did my best to remain inconspicuous as the figure landed. Clad in unmistakable white armor, white sword identical in shape to Luna's, she approached the group, who bowed in varying amounts of honor and common sense. Swallowing my pride, I followed suite.

Celestia bid us to rise.

We all stood, and she moved over to her rejected sister. "Well, it would seem you broke your seal a bit earlier than expected, Luna."

She coughed and pulled herself to her feet. She also knew that to argue now would be fatal and pointless, I could tell. She remained silent.

"One thousand years may have been a bit of a stretch to begin with, however. Perhaps this was enough. You were young then, and have had much time to consider both of our actions. I can only hope that you've seen the light- that the things you accused me of were well intended, and what I did I did for the survival of our country."

She shook slightly, halfway between a cough and a noise of disgust. "Yes." She lied. "I've realized the folly of my actions. Please, I beg that you forgive me. I was under the power of darkness, I had little strength of my own to resist."

"Of course." Celestia responded. To the eyes of those like Twilight, it must have seemed a heartwarming reunion, but I could see past that. Both parties were putting on their best game face and acting their parts, putting on a nice play for the people. She helped Luna off her feet and, sheathing her weapon and lifting Luna's with one hand, turned to us.

"I must thank you, heroes. Without you, the whole kingdom would have been engulfed in war once again." It was getting increasingly difficult to remain silent, but I managed. "I feel it would be best to continue to entrust the Elements to you, in the case something else should occur."

She looked to each of us in turn, smiling at her little weapon Twilight admirably, and nodding friendlily to each of us. When her eyes settled on me, she stopped for a moment, seeming to recognize something about me. Playing along, I gave my best impression of his smile, sincere, but with a hint of crazy.

And as I looked at her, I knew she saw it. She did her best to hide it, but I could see recognition in her eyes. For a moment, she saw him in my face, and I knew she knew exactly who I was. She squinted slightly, brought back up her smile, and nodded to me, accepting my silent gambit.

Not even AJ could have seen it. It was between me and her.

"I'll take my sister back to Eclipse, and return to her her crown. Our kingdom can be whole once again. Thank you again, heroes." She took her sisters hand, who looked back to me one final time. I nodded to her knowingly. We'd have another chance someday- And I wouldn't let Celestia win again. She smiled and nodded to me, the only one she'd met who had been with her full force.

The two took off for home, and sighing silently, I joined the others in doing the same. _This isn't over, dearest Queen. This has only just begun. _


	2. Part Two

(Thirty-four chapters)

**Part Two Prologue**

**Eclipse Castle; Four Hours Earlier**

**East Wing Chamber**

The spires and turrets of the mountainside castle shined in the waning light, brightening the surrounding city before night fell. With the mountain surrounding the castle, light would only be reflected upon the town at this time of day, a symbolic of a final mighty effort before the fall of darkness.

Within the castle's grand halls, the light reflected from the west into the stained glass windows, sending lights of all shades and hues dancing around the castle. Royal guards, clad in silver-blue armor, made their rounds across the gardens and castle.

To the east of the central towers, through the older sections of the palace, the eastern chambers lay silent. Several quarters for esteemed guests and the queens own closest allies were located in these halls, all furnished expensively. Only one was currently occupied.

Within the furthest room, a boy gazed out his window, admiring the last lights of the sun. His hair and wings were both a dusty orange, and on first glance appeared to be sickly and frail. While apparently content and unawares, his mind was working on the clock, and his heart raced with anticipation.

_She's been gone for a good hour now already, preparing to put her master plan of self- glamorization into action. Time's as prime as it's going to be._ He thought, giving the view one last look before turning and diving to the ground, reaching under his bed frame for a small locked wooden box.

He reached under his shirt, a plain white one covered with a light leather jacket, and retrieved a small bronze key from around his neck. Opening the chest, he removed a small collection of silver knives. The biggest of these he clutched backhanded with his right hand, the rest he shoved in his belt and jacket pockets.

_Seven knives in total. You really thought of everything didn't you, Celestia? Waiting until I was at my weakest to leave me here alone. But you jumped the line just a tiny bit. _He held his left hand out, and was able to generate a small fire between his fingers. _I've still got a few minutes of flame left in me._

He kicked the box back into its dusty resting place, and looked around the room. _Odds are good I'm not going to see this place again. Is there anything else I need?_ A thought occurred to him, and he went over to his bookshelf hurriedly. From it he retrieved a small tome, utterly unremarkable in appearance.

In this he had scribbled various bits of ancient language he had come across, and while he had no knowledge of the meaning behind them himself, he had written them down as he located them, in the hopes of one day finding a scholar who could satisfy his curiosity. A few he were convinced were spells of some kind, though the only magic he could use, little more than the most basic of fire spells, were inherent to him and required no incantation.

He slipped the book into the inside of his jacket and moved to the door. Keeping his hand in his pocket to hide the weapon, he left the room, and entered the ancient and grand hallways. Much of the castle had been reconstructed after the war five hundred years prior, though this section of the castle had remained solid and cared for.

He set off down the hall at a brisk pace. His legs had been gradually weakening over the last few weeks, as had the rest of him, but he knew they weren't quite at their weakest yet. This was all just one huge gambit- would he have enough energy remaining to succeed without collapsing somewhere along the way?

Not many guards patrolled in this part of the castle, but to leave he would have to pass through the central entryway, and both it and the path to it were heavily guarded. While he did have free roam of the castle, his normal privilege granting him the same of the surrounding city had been restricted with Celestia away, so stealth would be necessary. The knives were simply his insurance.

He had long been studying the layout of the castle for this day, and had mapped out hidden passages not even the queen was liable to be aware of in his mind. He elected to use one now, slipping into a long unoccupied room and removing several loose floor tiles. A small tunnel down led into an unused shelter, connected to several others around the castle. One of these led to another shelter beneath the kitchens, which at this time of day would likely be empty. It was this that the boy planned to use.

He slipped down ungracefully, picked himself up off the dusty stone floor, and stared down the darkened passageway. He looked around for a light source, saw a torch, and lit it with a spark from his fingertip. The ancient cloth and wax slowly came to life, casting a dull but adequate light around him. He held it aloft in his left hand, and set off down the forgotten path.

As he approached the central gathering room, much bigger than any of the other shelters, he stopped. There were four other pathways from here, but he had travelled these before. He took the one second to the right, and entered another blank stone pass. He soon came to a shelter nearly identical to the first- it could have fit a good twenty people if it had to, but was sparsely furnished.

He climbed the small ladder that led down to it, and did his best to press his ear up to the hatch above. Silence. He doused the torch, tossed it below, and pushed up on the ceiling. He emerged in the empty kitchen as he thought he would. Tables, furnaces and cauldrons made up the majority of the room.

He rose from the shelter tunnel and sealed it as it had been before. His next task would be the more dangerous leg of the journey- the grand hall was the only room adjoining this one, and it was doubtful that it would be completely empty.

_I can still be anywhere in the castle, but can't leave and be seen. Still, I'm already this far, and I'd have to come up with a good story for why I was in the kitchen in the first place. I'll need to stay stealthy._

He decided to come up with a simple one anyway, and made his way out of the kitchen. The grand hall was far from busy, as supper had been a two hours ago. However, a few people still lingered. When asked, he claimed to have been looking for one of the chefs, who he had been told had gone back to the kitchen for something. One of them told him they had seen the chef in question elsewhere, and he pretended to take the information and go look for him.

When he left the grand hall, he went the exact opposite direction, towards the entrance hall and his ticket to freedom. He slid against the wall, allowing the patrolling guard to pass around the next corner, then ran for it. One more turn, and the hall would be upon him.

"What are you doing?" A taciturn voice asked from behind him. He turned slowly, and was faced with a royal soldier, who didn't appear to want any part of whatever was going on.

"Uh..." He came up blank. He could have sworn he had the guards patterns mapped out. Perhaps this was one who was on break, or had a more specific assignment. He silently cursed himself for overlooking such an obvious variable. _I'll have to improvise... _

He dug around in his pockets, coming up with a decent amount of currency. "Don't suppose you'd like to take this and pretend this never happened?"

"You underestimate us, kid. We're a bit more devoted to the Queen than that. I ought to knock you out and present you to her myself, make her realize what a bad idea it was keeping you around in the first place."

"You ought to... But you won't?" He was going out on a limb, but was willing to stretch his plans a bit here.

"You seem to have several weapons with you." He pointed out. "I'll bet that one could fetch a coin or two with the right buyer."

The boy looked to the knife the guard had referred to, and pulled it out of his belt. "Throw that in with the money, and I'll go about my business." He handed the guard the coins and knife, who then put away all of it and walked away. _That was all the money I had on me. I won't be able to do that again._

He waited until both ways were clear, then slipped through the next hall, into the entrance chamber, and dropped off the railing and behind a great statue. Once again, his landing was clumsy, as his wings were all but useless in his current state. The room was much more lively, and he knew making it through would be much more difficult. And considering he hadn't even gotten past the easier part cleanly...

_No. _He corrected his own thoughts. _I can't doubt myself now. I won't get another chance, and I _will _take this one._

He dashed across to a side room, which would interlock with another. Through this room, the exit was only a few yards away. The second smaller room he knew to be full of coatracks for the most part. He ducked in after checking it and confirming it empty, and slipped on a black overcoat he had seen on the way in. _This might look a bit odd for the middle of summer, but at least it'll be less conspicuous than my wings. Sorry for whoever's this is, but it's for the good of the country. Just get yourself a new one, prick._

He flipped the hood up and left the room through the other door, leaving the castle entryway without being stopped. The outer gates of the palace were still patrolled heavily, but as he made his way through he only attracted confused glances from the guards. However, as he approached the grand doorway leading in and out of the courtyard, he noticed out of the corner of his eye the guards walking up from behind.

_There's five of them allocated to me, it seems. On a good day I could take them all down without breaking a sweat, but I'd be lucky to get _one_ of them today. I can only run. _He reached the door and tried to get it open, but couldn't budge the lock. _Really? I didn't take into account the heavy bolt lock I've seen a thousand times? Stupid!_

He turned his head slightly, and could see the guards were almost upon him. He began running through his remaining options, but none were very good. In a few seconds he had settled on the option he felt was most likely to succeed, but even then it wasn't a great plan...

He shrugged the coat off, and, turning to face the guards, who had drawn their weapons upon seeing his hair and wings, he lit it aflame. "Catch!" He said, throwing the burning cloth their way and tripping them up. He jumped as hight as he could into the air, and used another burst of flame to rocket up over the gate and above the city. _I've barely got any power left... This is going to either get me out of here or get me killed... It'll be close. _

Falling to the ground, he expended what was just shy of the rest of his energy, and a large, sad looking bird took of shakily in his place, skimming the rooftops and rapidly clearing the city, which while a large and proud city in itself, paled in comparison to the castle. _It's not a matter of avoiding the guards anymore._ He thought. _It's whether or not I can get far enough away and hide somewhere they won't find me. And I can only hold up like this for a few minutes more..._

He shot past the last of the buildings and began coasting over the green hills surrounding them, avoiding the largest roads. His flight was wobbly to begin with, but soon he was barely able to stay on one clear path. _They'll find me if I just collapse here. I need to get further away, and somewhere where the wind won't get me. If I can find a cave to stay in for a few days... Agh!_

With a final grunt, the bird rammed into the ground and skidded to a halt atop a small hill, turning up the loose dirt. Using the very last of his magic energy, he returned to his original form with a flash of light, and pushed himself off the ground painfully. _I'll have to go on foot, then. Hup... ah..._

He began running, but he wasn't able to make much progress with any speed. His legs were tiring fast, and the moon watched as he stumbled forward, in the direction of the vast forest to the southwest. The forest was about the last place he wanted to hide out, but when it was compared to his only other option, it seemed preferable.

His eyes were set on the inky black form looming before him, but when he had nearly reached the tree line, he collapsed. His strength was gone, and his legs had given way as he descended a small slope.

_My plan failed... Celestia, you knew even if I escaped, I couldn't get far enough away. Curse you, queen..._

The boy had accepted defeat, and was content to lie and let fate do with him what it would, but as he lay motionless, another figure looked out from the forest, his boundless curiosity piqued. This man was of above average height, though not inhumanly so. His spiky hair, a longsword hanging across his back, and a knife at his belt were all the very blackest of pitch. A short jacket and tattered brown cape flowed behind him.

He regarded the boy, aligning his thoughts. _This young man clearly just got done running for his life. _He concluded in less than half a second. _But he seems to have given up, perhaps too worn by the chase to continue? Let's see, here... Oh, he was running from Eclipse? Well, the least I can do is speak to him and uncover his motives._

He stepped out of the shade of the forest, which would have made him seem to materialize from nowhere, had the boy been looking his way. As it was, his eyes were closed and turned to his side anyway. However, he did hear the newcomer approaching, and his ears pricked slightly.

"Why were you scurrying from the castle, boy?" He said in an unusual, almost whimsical accent. "Usual reasons?"

"Ugh... How do you know I was?" He replied quietly, though the man was able to understand him without overt effort.

"You're sprawled across the ground, too tired to continue, and facing away from the Shining City." He answered. "Quite simple if one cares to line up the pieces like such. So, I can guess you were her prisoner or something, and made a break for it while she's out for tea or whatnot?"

"Heh. Something like that. She's out making herself look good,"

"At the expense of others, I presume?"

"'Course. I was something of a curiosity to her, and she thought it wise to keep me under her wing, so to speak. I wanted no part of it."

"Ah, her little pet then. Well, this is fortuitous. You'd doubtless know things that an average captive wouldn't, and I am known to be a merchant of information. Tell you what, kid." The man crouched beside the disheveled figure. "If you can tell me some things of note, rare, unusual, possibly _naughty_ things... I'll hide you."

The boys eyes opened at last, taking in the stranger for the first time. He seemed a bit skeptical. "I'm not sure I can give you much... Wait, wait. Can... can you read ancient text?"

The man scoffed. "What do you take me for, kid? Of course I can. Wouldn't be much of an information trader without understanding such a prevalent language. Why, you got some?"

"I've been around. I wrote down any I found, and I can recall exactly where each entry was, but I can't decipher it. I have the notes here." Wearily, he reached into his jacket and retrieved the old tome. The man took it and flipped through the pages idly.

"Interesting... Some of these might even take a while to read. This is old stuff... Awright kid, you got yourself a deal. I'll lug you back to my forest shack and find a bunk for you."

He pulled the boy up and supported him over his shoulder. "What can I call you, anyway? 'Kid' and 'boy' seem a bit impersonal."

"It's... it's Phil." He said. "And you...?"

"For the time being, you can call me Link. Good to meet you, Phil. When we get home, I'll dig up my finest aged Chateu Romani for the occasion!"

**Chapter Twelve**

**Town**

**Dash's House**

A week had passed since we had returned from the Castle of Dawn. After being healed properly, we had all broken off and had for the most gone straight home. I had put my old sword back where it always was- near the door for quick access. The golden sword, however, I brought to a little used back room, where another sword sat. It was another broadsword, though slightly shorter and curved near the tip. Here this sword would wait until it had its chance to finish it's mission. I placed the golden sword to the side of it and closed the door.

Celestia had made a show of accepting Luna back to her second-in-command seat of power, but once again I could see it was all a lie. Luna would be kept alive, I could only assume, but I doubted if she would be treated as anything more than a prisoner there. _I'll find a way somehow, kid. I'll get us all out of this, somehow. _With thoughts like this buzzing around my head, I fell asleep, and awoke in a dream.

All around me was white- the ground was indiscernible from the sky around, but I was able to find my footing easily enough. I had been here before. I stared out into the fog, watching for movement. I could never tell from what direction he would come, or when, but he always showed up eventually. Unpredictability was one thing he had never let go.

However, this time he seemed to have decided on going as simply as possible, which I suppose was exactly what I wasn't expecting. From in front of me, he stalked slowly up to me, stopping just short of my ability to see his face. I could see his dark pants and trademark leather jacket just fine, and his hair hung past his shoulders like my own. His hands were in his pockets, and his head was tilted slightly to the side.

"You've really got yourself deep into this mess, haven't you?" He stated, phrasing it as a question.

"What choice do I have? If I don't try, who will?"

"You underestimate the amount of crazy idiots at your disposal, kid. Though, it's probably a good idea to have a few people who know what they're talking about mixed in, just in case you win."

"'In case'? That's an unusual thing for you to say. Somehow or another, I will fix this, and you know it."

"Hah! Caught me there, didn't you? However, I'll have to call you out on that as well- You will _help_ to fix it. You of all people should understand by now you can't do jack alone. Take my word for it."

"So, I presume I won't need to tell you what happened before?"

"What, do you think I have nothing better to do than watch you all day?"

"That was true up until today, apparently."

"I was able to catch some of it, and since I can read your mind here, I can piece it together. Let's see, Luna dropped in for a visit, stupid capital broad, got the Elements (now that could be useful...), ooh, nice use of my song. I approve. What else... awesome combo technique... it was a trap all along, nice catch. Well, I think that about covers it."

His dialogue was a bit hard to follow at times, I'll admit, but I'd had experience. "So, why are you here?"

"I'm going to go ahead and assume you mean 'here', right now, before you talking- as opposed to existing at all. That's what you usually mean. Mostly just to confirm to you I'm still here. But I do have a bit of advice for you- don't rush things. I know you want to march in there and beat the queen senseless, but you're going to want to wait. You don't stand a chance as you are. Bide your time, kid, and you'll get more strength. Fate may seem to throw everything at you when you aren't ready for it, but trust me- you'll know what to do when it does."

"You know, I remember you being a lot less cryptic in your advice." I pointed out.

"Come's with the territory, kid. I wouldn't want to give you any spoilers, anyway. And besides, I have to remain cryptic, that way it looks like I actually know what I'm talking about."

"I remember you being more helpful too, now that I think about it."

"Don't be ridiculous, I've never been at all helpful. You've just convinced yourself otherwise. Well, I'll be seeing you, kid!"

He stepped back, and a large pair of dark blue wings erupted from behind him. With a final wave, he jumped back and flew away, quickly disappearing in the mist.

The rest of the week passed by uneventfully- save for Twilight being stationed in town indefinitely. The story behind it was something along the lines of 'to learn friendship' or some crap like that. I knew the real reason behind it was for Celestia to have eyes and ears here. I hadn't seen much of her since then, but it was mostly from me not wanting to. I knew she was still around.

The day marking exactly one week after the event, I pulled myself out of bed rather late, stretching. Work had been slow lately- Applejack and I both worked as mercenaries, and we'd only been able to find one job this week, and it was a small one. _I guess everyone's still calming down from what happened._ AJ of course also worked on the family farm when not on a mission, and when work was slow like this, I would go over and help where I could as well. Since most of the work we did in general we did together, we split the profits evenly from both jobs.

I was preparing to drop by the bulletin board in the town square to check for any new work, then go over to the ranch if there wasn't. But as I opened the door to leave, I interrupted someone who had been about to knock. She pulled her hand back quickly.

"Oh, hey Fluttershy. You need something?" I asked.

"Um, yeah... I, ah, wanted to talk to you about something..."

"Sure, come on in. Help yourself to whatever you can find to sit on." I moved aside and let her inside. My house wasn't the fanciest by far- It was pretty small, but I spent little time there anyway. Furnishings were sparse, but I had a few chairs around, and brought out a couple to sit on. She sat quietly, and I perched myself across from her. "So, what did you need?"

"Well... It's about the siege last week." She said. I nodded. "When you all were fighting, especially with Nightmare Moon... I felt so... Useless. Weak. I couldn't do anything to help you."

I stopped her for a moment. "Hang on a sec. You're far from useless, Fluttershy. Did you forget about the lion-head thing already? There's no way we would have been able to kill that thing."

"It was a Manticore, actually. And, that was just one thing. I couldn't help with any of the other fights, and my song only works when something was turned against us- it would almost never work against another human. I want to help as much as I can, but... I'm just a liability to you now. I... I want you to teach me how to fight."

I had to stop at that. First off, Fluttershy fighting was a hard enough picture to imagine. Plus, why would she think I would be the way to go? I'd never taught anyone anything.

"I... I came to you first, because I thought you'd understand." She said. "You were the best fighter I've ever seen, and I thought... I thought that if anyone could help me, it would be you."

I thought for a minute. "Fluttershy... I'm not sure there's much I can do. I can't see you holding up very long in close combat, and I don't think you'd have a whole lot of luck with magic, either."

"Please!" She begged. "Dash, I... I don't want to hide at the back of the group anymore, waiting for someone else to make things safe. I... I want to be able to protect people too."

_That was what I was looking for. _I realized. A memory of something once told to me surfaced. _"It's not enough to be able to fight, to even be great at it- it's no different than wanting a toy just to have it. You have to want to fight for the right reasons- to safeguard the ones you love, or to be there for others."_

"Well... There is one other option I can think of, but if you choose to take that path, you'll need to find someone more experienced with it than me. However... If you truly want to learn, I'll find a way to make it happen."

She was about ready to jump up and hug me or something, but I stopped her again. "I have to warn you, though. You're not going to be able to turn back once you start learning to fight. Once you learn these things, they'll start to become instinct, and you'll carry them with you for the rest of your life. You'll always be a fighter. Are you sure you really want that?"

She thought for a moment, then replied. "It will be a good thing to know... If I only use it to help people."

I couldn't help but let a small grin cross my face. Something about her determination reminded me of myself. "Alright, sit tight, I'll go grab the stuff." I went to a back room, and returned with an old set of archery equipment. "Archery, I think, would be the best way to go for you. You'll be able to fight just fine, but stay a good distance from the enemy at the same time. What do you think, you wanna give it a try?"

She thought about it. "I think that would work, yes. I'll give it a try."

**Chapter Thirteen**

**EverFree Forest- One week earlier**

**House of the Hylian**

Phil had passed out soon after their trip began, and when he awoke, he was in a spacious but cluttered room, sprawled across an old sofa. He propped himself up, having regained a bit of energy in his sleep, and took in all the various objects in the room.

Most prominent was a large sword against the wall, with a blue handle and gleaming steel blade. Upon a shelf fixed on the wall sat a collection of masks, most notable of which were two- one rather human looking, with face paint and white eyes, and one violet with red and blue markings, whose round yellow eyes stared at him from the shelf. Beneath that were several odd devices, with a handle and trigger, connected to another piece by a chain. The last piece varied- one or two were equipped with hooks, some with blades like those of a spearhead, and a few with three-or-four pronged claws.

Other pieces of interest were present as well- several instruments of strings and wind were neatly organized in one area, while uncounted books were piled in another. Several of the books looked quite old, but cared for, while others seemed to be new blank tomes, filled out with time. Phil could see a door leading outside across from him, while another doorway to his left led into a back room or possibly a basement.

As he was looking around, the man called Link came inside from the front door, wiping his knife clean with an old cloth. "Ah, you've awakened. Excellent."

"Where'd you go to?" Phil asked. "And how long have I been out?"

"I'd say about four hours, if you only just woke up. Upon arrival here, I set you up on the couch, slipped you a bit of red potion, and set off for a prior engagement down at the Castle of Dawn. I wanted to study our dear queenie's techniques of bull crap, and do a bit of research on the ruins themselves. I think I came off quite well from the trip." He flashed a small book he had in his other hand.

He came inside and dropped off his weapons, dropping the book onto the pile and lifting another, of comparable size. He flipped through the pages idly. "You're an odd one, you know that?" He said.

"I've been told." Phil said.

"No, I mean... You don't match up with anything I've ever seen, this world or otherwise. You can formshift much like a Laguz of Tellius, yet use magic like a Child of Air. And yet you use fire magic as opposed to wind, contradicting yourself yet more. Tell me, lad- what _are _you?"

"I'm actually prepared with something of an answer." Phil stated. "See, what I think happened was a one in a million chance- a Child of Fire of this land- one who specialized in heavy fire magic- was my mother, while a Hawk from Tellius was my father. Since it was't a Beorc and a Laguz, strictly speaking, a Branded wasn't definite. But as far as I can tell, I'm the only one of my kind. I'm a Phoenix."

Link drew a quill from a nearby desk and began jotting down notes onto a blank page of his book. "Interesting..."

"I've got most of the qualities to call me such. I'm at the low point now- which is why I'm so sickly and weak- in another few days I'm bound to burst into flames and come back stronger than ever. But I age normally, for some reason- I won't be reborn as a baby, but just as old as I am now."

"Hm... How did you come to be Celestia's captive, then?"

He took a while before responding. "Same way she got most of her people, I suppose. She became aware of my presence, and sought me out when I was very young. My parents weren't stupid, and tried to hide me, but... She killed them and brought me in, tried to train me to be her weapon, just like her current apprentice, Twilight. I trained alongside her for years, but while she was willing to give herself over fully to the queen, I just didn't see it. I took my chance and escaped, but... If I got the chance to take Twilight from her, I know I'd take it."

"Home-grown soldiers of power... How many others do you suppose she has taken, you two aside?"

"I don't know... A good number of the higher- ranking soldiers in her army most likely, but I don't think she has any other real 'weapons' like us right now. She's had others in the past though."

He finished his notes in the one book and retrieved the first again, jotting town some other notes. "What... What are you writing, there?" Phil asked slowly.

"Oh, pay it no great mind. As I said, I'm a bit of a merchant for information- I'm interested in seeing how the world grows and changes, and I've done my upmost to record all that has happened to this world as accurately as possible. Celestia is obviously a big part of history, so I've been studying the things she's done and how she operates carefully. And I've tried to give a good biography to all varieties of people I encounter, to predict what the people of the future might resemble, which is why I wanted to learn more about your terms of existence. I'm certainly not regretting bringing you in now."

Phil felt he had given plenty of information already, and was ready to dig for some himself. "You said something about a 'red potion' earlier, what is that exactly?"

"Ah, forget you don't have chu jelly in this world. It's sort of a heal-all medicine from where I come from. It'll pretty much patch up most wound's you can get, short of fatal ones. No good for sickness though. See, everything you see around this room, save for about half the books over on that pile, are from my home, relics I was able to salvage and bring with me here. I wanted to preserve some of it. Most of these are just that though- relics who's power has been lost over the ages..."

"And... You referred to this world before, almost as though it weren't the only one in the equation. What's all that about?"

"Ah, lad. Surely it's evident this world _isn't _the only one we're dealing with- I would have thought this civilization was advanced enough to realize it's a very small part of the grand scheme of things. Of course there're other worlds out there, but I'm afraid that's a story for another day. When I tell it, I'll want it to be to some more people. I'd rather continue focusing on this one.

"What would you say the state of being is in this place, regarding Celestia and the common folk?"

"What, you mean the popular opinion of her? Well... I'd say it's kind of divided right now. There are plenty of people who aren't fond of her, and would love to see her fall, some would even go as far as to take up arms against her. Then there's just as many who she's captivated over the years, who would give their lives to defend her rule.

But the majority, on the surface, would rather not get involved- just to live out their lives and not concern themselves with the throne, because it would only endanger them, without much improvement on the table in the first place. That's the main problem the tiny pockets of haters encounter- not enough people are encouraged enough to take a side."

"I see..." Link said, once again back to taking careful notes. "I've seen things like this before... The world isn't _quite_ ready for revolution yet, but in a few years time, maybe..."

"Wait, revolution?" He asked. "You're saying there's a way to bring her down? And we might see her fall soon?"

"Course there is, kid. No entity is perfect, and I think I've got an idea what Celestia's personal defense system is. Soon as I can prove it, I'll know how to get her. And if you play your cards right, you might just be able to do it within the next few years here. I've seen stranger.

"No empire or kingdom can last forever, lad. This one has been standing under the same ruler for five-hundred years- it's already begun to soften, kid, and Celestia knows she's on thin ice. Why'd you think she went through all that trouble with her dear sister? She wants to extend her stay as long as she can. But I have a feeling something new is on the horizon, mark my words."

"A few more years... Can you help us?"

Link looked genuinely surprised. "I beg your pardon?"

"I can tell just by looking at you that you're a great fighter- if you were to help us, we'd be unstoppable!"

"Now hang on there, lad. I haven't fought in ages, and even if I could, I've chosen to be an observer here, not to get involved in matters that don't concern me. On top of that, there isn't even anything for me to join yet. From your description, contempt is far spread right now- if you're to have any chance, you'll need to get together a proper resistance going. Now, did you know anyone else from Eclipse that could potentially help you from the inside?"

Phil, slightly discouraged by Links rejection of his offer, picked himself up and thought. "Well... There was Spike, Twilight's guardian. He'd never admit it, but I doubt if he's completely allied with the queen. But I don't think I'll be able to budge him from her side- he's like a father to her, and more of an obscure uncle to me. He'd join in if Twilight did, but I can't see that happening any time soon.

"...Wait...There was one other, a brigadier commander in Celestia's army, Octavia. She enlisted when she was my age, and climbed the ranks in a few years with shows of loyalty to the queen. However... I hear she's surrounded herself with a few friends who aren't so fond of the throne, and I wager she's been faking loyalty the whole time. But her leadership is real- and the archer unit under her would follow her orders over Celestia's own if it came to it. She and I knew each other decently, and I know she's a potent sniper herself."

"Now there's someone you need to stay in contact with, kid. When time rolls around to get the pockets together, you'll want someone like that, who can lead and take some heads herself, plus get inside information. Now, I'll house you for a while so you can recover strength, but once you're good to go, and I've given you all the information I can, I'll set you loose on the world again. I don't want to get tied in myself, but... I want to see the world recover from Celestia's scars. I'll give you the tools you need to make it happen."

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Town**

**Outer Fields**

It had been some time since the last chance I'd had to practice archery, so it took me a few shots to land one good enough for Fluttershy to try and beat. I hadn't been kidding when I told her she'd need a better tutor before too long.

She picked up the bow in her left hand, notched an arrow, and fired weakly. The first few shots barely cleared the bow itself, but as I corrected her as best I could, they slowly began to become stronger and more accurate. It was slow progress, but I could see her improving. By noon she had managed to land a few shots into the target we'd set up.

"Not bad!" I said, clasping her on the shoulder. "You're definitely getting better. But what say you we take a break- I don't know about you, but I need a bite to eat." She nodded, we set the equipment against a tree, facing away from town, and headed for home. On the way, Applejack caught up to me.

"I've been looking for you, Dash. Where were you?"

"Oh, sorry. I got caught up in something. I didn't get to check the bulletin board today, any job offers?"

"Nah, I checked earlier. What were you busy with?"

"Well, Fluttershy came to me this morning wanting me to train her to fight. She wanted to be able to protect her friends, you know. I couldn't just tell her no after that. I've been humoring her by teaching her a bit of archery."

"Since when have you known the first thing about that?" She asked incredulously.

"Like I said, it's mostly to humor her. If she turns out good, which it looks like she might, I'll find her someone who knows what they're doing. We're on lunch break right now, you wanna go grab something?"

"Sure." She said, and we headed into town. We bought a couple of sandwiches sat down and began to eat, when something from the entrance of town caught my eye.

A lone figure was entering, with a worn, wide brimmed, almost wizardly-looking hat covering her face. Snow white hair flowed from under it behind her, and she wore a long blue jacket and black pants. A plain metal rod, unremarkable in every way, was slung across her back. While her features were hidden from view, she walked with an air of professionalism.

I looked across, and saw that Applejack had taken note as well. We were both confused. New people came in and out of town all the time, and plenty were of the strange variety, but this person... Something was different here. "Should we talk to her?" I asked.

"After lunch. This issue ain't that pressing right now." I agreed, and we finished our meal quickly. The newcomer had passed down another street a few minutes ago, and so I stood and followed. Applejack had a busy day lined up on the farm, so she bade me good luck and headed for home. Once I entered the street, I had no clue which way she went, so I picked a direction at random and stuck with it.

The streets weren't terribly busy right then, so when I saw a glimpse of the old hat, I knew there wasn't much chance of error. _Now, wait. How do I even begin striking up a conversation with her? I can't think of a good way that wouldn't seem weird, now that I think about it. _

"What." A voice said from behind me. When I turned to look, I saw that the girl had somehow gotten behind me, and her unadorned weapon was in hand. Her features were still shielded from sight. "You're clearly following me. What do you want?"

_She's good. Might pay to be a bit careful. _"I was curious. I like to know most of the people in town, and I hadn't seen you before. Plus, you look like a pretty good mage, if your outfit is anything to go by."

She chuckled slightly. "Well, I think I have some right to show off. I've yet to see anyone who could parallel my own magic." Her voice dropped again. "But save your breath otherwise. I'm not in the market for friends. I'm a wanderer at heart, and I'm only in town a few days to see if anything's happening. Then I'm gone." She began walking away.

"Celestia?" I ventured sympathetically. She stopped short, though not turning around.

"What about her?" She asked. Despite her forced monotone voice, I could tell I'd got her interested, if only for a moment.

"Does anything you're doing have to do with her? Are you... looking for a weakness? Or more strength?"

She turned around now. "That's dangerous talk, you know. Especially in the middle of the street."

I understood what she was saying. Royal influence was pretty light around here, but there were still soldiers. I nodded and set off in the opposite direction, towards the same field Fluttershy and I had been using. I didn't need to look to see that the newcomer was following at a slight distance.

I turned and leaned against a tree, facing her. "What do you know?" She asked.

"You're looking for something here, that much I can tell. I'll ask again- does it have to do with the queen?"

She nodded after a moment. "I travel, seeing the state of things. I want to know how close this country is to a revolution, and the best way to do that is to see the citizenry in action."

My interest was piqued. "And? What have you found?"

She tipped her hat slightly, allowing me to see her face in shade. She smiled darkly, and her violet eyes glinted with determination. "Five hundred years have taken their toll, let's say. The people are loath to act just yet, but they're getting sick of this. We might not be far off..." She chuckled again.

"And you? I can see you're not opposed to this, but are you fully with them?"

"I have to ask you the same first. It wouldn't be wise for me to hand out any more information to someone I can't trust."

"Fine." I stood. "I am against her. She's crossed my path and has taken from me something that I'll never get back. I aim to make her pay for it, and for everything else she's done."

She seemed puzzled by this. "I could claim the same. It's odd... You're the only one who's been so willing to admit that. What did she do to you?"

That was it. I stopped short, unprepared, if unwilling, to answer. I'd only just met this girl, and didn't even know her name, let alone if I could tell her something like that. "Suffice to say it was bad." I said, recovering from the stagger in conversation. "I'd rather not discuss it, with all respect."

"I understand." She responded. "What can I call you, anyway? I'll need to be able to contact you if anything comes up."

"Rainbow Dash, at your service. Local mercenary of absolutely no note, part time farm hand, and one of the six bearers of the Elements of Harmony. How's that?"

She chuckled once again. "I think I'll remember that. I'm just... Trixie. Greatest mage you'll ever meet, and when something starts up against the queen, I'll be there. Can I count on you to do the same?"

"Of course." I said. "But I'm not sure you're the absolute _best_ out there. I've met the queen's apprentice, and she's not half bad herself. When it comes to magic at least- otherwise she's clueless..."

"Wait a minute, you know her apprentice? Twilight, right?"

"Sure, she was one of the others who got the Elements. Why, you actually want to meet her?"

"Well, I suppose I'm not surprised she'd be good with magic, too. After all... it's in her blood. She was once... my sister."

_Well. I did not see that coming. Twilight never mentioned any sort of family... But then, I think I heard Celestia hand picks her closest students at a young age. So these two were separated years ago, and Twilight might not even remember. But..._

"You don't look a day older than her, though. Don't tell me-"

"Yeah." She said, averting her eyes sheepishly. "We're twins on top of all that." Now that she said it, I could see the resemblance in what I could see of her- her eyes were more inclined to darkness than of justice, but burned with the same fierce determination of Twilight's. And I could see some facial resemblance as well.

"Okay, this is just getting bizarre... You're telling me you and Twilight were separated at birth by Celestia- one becoming her closest ally, and one becoming what could well be one of her worst enemies?"

"Well, it wasn't quite at birth. It was two years afterward. She had to be able to tell Twilight had potential, but she can see it pretty early."

"This whole thing is just a _little_ cliched, and yet... I can completely see the queen doing something like that. But wasn't there anyone who tried to stop her?"

"You'd think..." She sighed. "But our parents were heavy supporters of her, and... They just let her have Twilight. When I learned that myself, I could never forgive them, or her. I left home with all the knowledge I needed and never looked back."

_Her parents just... gave up their daughter? The people who follow Celestia are fanatical... A truly dangerous enemy. _"So that's why you're opposed to her."

"It's definitely a big part of it. When my eyes were opened to her evil, I could see all kinds of other things she's done to the world, and it only made the flames burn brighter. I'm waiting now for others to join in opposing her, and I'll try to bring them together. And we might just be getting close to starting this.

"But... I think if I got to know her at last, I might be able to change Twilight's mind. Please- if you know her like you said, I need you to arrange a meeting."

I took a moment before answering. She truly was an interesting character- a sibling stolen and a burning desire for vengeance. Something about that seemed just a little familiar. "Well, I can get you and her talking, sure. But... I'd hold off on revealing your true motives for a while. She's pretty much convinced Celestia's lies are true, and won't hear anything otherwise. Get to know her first if you're to have any chance, if you ask me."

**Chapter Fifteen**

**Town **

**Library Annex**

Twilight looked over the note once more. She had received it yesterday, but still found herself hoping it wasn't true. But everything that had been in all of Celestia's other notes were present, and she had no choice but to accept it. But what could be done about it now?

_One week prior to this message, your fellow student, the phoenix Phillip, had been reported missing, having fled the city from royal soldiers even in his weakest state. Since then, extensive searches of Eclipse have been conducted, to no avail. The few reports we have to go on estimate that he fled in the direction of the EverFree forest, but no scouts thus far have found a single trace of his presence._

_I write to you with this, Twilight, not as my apprentice, but as his closest and possibly only true friend. I'm not asking you to charge into the forest yourself and try to find him, but it's likely he might come to you. If and when he does, I need you to discover why he has done this, and do your upmost to convince him to return._

_Sincerely, Celestia._

She put the note back down on the table and began pacing again. _Phil ran away? I just can't think of why he would do that... And why didn't he tell me beforehand? Something must have happened back there, but... Celestia didn't mention anything bad happening at Eclipse, save for him running. What happened to him...? Oh, Phil, please be okay..._

"Hey Twilight, you busy?" A voice asked from behind her, in the direction of the window. For a moment, she entertained the thought that it was her old companion, dropping in through the window when she least expected it.

She turned around, but was met instead with Rainbow Dash, casually hanging from the top of the frame by his hands with his feet planted on the bottom. She felt slightly cheated by this- where she had expected Phil- her longtime friend and confidant, who would do anything to help her if it was necessary- she instead got Dash- begrudged ally, cocky and self concerned, who had and would clash with her at every opportunity.

"What do you want." She said unenthusiastically.

He turned his head slightly. "Something happen?"

"It's none of your concern. I have other things to get to, so what did you need?"

"Right. Kind of a hypothetical question- if I were to tell you that you had a twin sister from whom you've been separated your whole life, who had since then trained her butt off to become a super-powered mage in order to find a way to get back in contact with you- what would you have to say to that?"

"I'd call you crazy, but then that's basically my default reaction to anything you say."

"Alright then- what if she was standing right outside your door, and it was someone other than me telling you this?"

_What on earth is he trying to accomplish with this nonsense? _"It would still be pretty crazy, even then. Is this going somewhere?"

"Sure is. Turns out everything I said was true, for once. Ask her yourself." He used a wind spell to open the door leading to the rest of the library, where a girl with snow white hair, looking to be about Twilight's age, stood. She wore a variation of a classical anima mage outfit- with a long coat tailed blue jacket and worn pointed hat- and held a long iron pole as a staff. On closer inspection, there was a place on the top to screw on an attachment of some sort, leading her to believe it had once been a broomstick, only adding to the classic magic look.

"Trixie- Twilight. Twilight- Trixie. Now, talk to each other or something, I don't know. I have to get back to teaching archery." He kicked off the window and flew off to who-knows-where. The two remained where they stood, sizing each other up.

"So, I'm meant to believe we're twins?" Twilight asked incredulously.

"If you are indeed Twilight, apprentice to the queen, then yes." She answered.

"Well, I'll admit you do look something like me... But not so much that I'll be convinced on that alone. I don't suppose you have half a locket or old time piece that I forgot I had the other half of?"

"Hah! If only it were that simple. No, I never thought to set us up with something like that. All I have for you is my word."

"Well, it's true I don't remember anything of my life before becoming Celestia's student, so I suppose it's not _impossible _that I had a twin... But that's not anything like proof by itself. Why haven't I been told about it before?"

"I assume it's because Celestia didn't want to distract you from your training with finding me. See, she took you in when you were two years old, more or less, leaving me with our parents. When I was old enough to learn the truth, I was more than a little upset, and... maybe a little jealous, too. She had chosen you over me in terms of magical prowess. But mostly it was because of what we missed out on- I would have enjoyed growing up with you.

"I did what I could to have the chance to meet you at all- I left home and sought out the most skilled mages I could find, and learned all I could from them. I hoped that by becoming more powerful myself, I would be able to track you down again and help somehow, and convince you of the truth."

As much as everything she said added up in Twilight's mind, she still couldn't be convinced what she said was true. As much as she may have wanted it to be- she still lacked any concrete evidence. "I'll be honest... I kind of want to believe you. And I can't really think of a reason for you to lie, I don't see how it would benefit you in any way. I suppose... I'll give it a chance."

"Really? You mean it?" Her eyes opened slightly wider.

"I mean... Even if that is true, we're still no better than strangers. Twins or not, it's still as though we've never met. But I'm willing to get to know you if you want."

"Of course! So... You wanna start by testing each others magic skills?"

"A magic duel? Huh... Sounds fun! I know a good open field we can use. Do you want to go now?" She nodded, and the two left the room, headed for the town square.

On the way out, the door opened before they could get to it, and Spike stepped in. "Hey, I was just coming to find you- wait, who's this?"

"Apparently my twin sister." Twilight said with a chuckle.

Spike turned his head slightly, examining Trixie fully. "Yep, I think it's safe to say it's her."

"Wait, you knew this whole time?" Twilight asked, confused. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Yeah, right after Celestia assigned me to watch over you, I took leave for a while to check out what kind of family you had come from, what to expect. Sure enough, there was another little girl with them, looked pretty much like this one here, but lots younger. Trixie, wasn't it? Anyway, I only didn't tell you because Celestia asked me not to. Probably didn't want you galavanting off trying to find her. But I guess you found each other anyway, huh?"

"Told you." Trixie said. "So, you said you were Twilight's guardian? I guess that kind of makes you like my kindly human uncle figure, then?"

"Um... I suppose. Odd way to phrase it, but yeah, I guess so."

"Oh, that's just something an old friend of mine used to say. Pay it no mind. Anyway, we were going off to have a magic-duel. Would you like to tag along?"

"Well, with you two, injury will surely follow, and if you're anything like your sister there won't be any talking you out of it... I'll come along if only to clean up afterwards." He said, though Twilight could detect he was mostly just playing. The three left the library for the fields near town.

_I didn't quite trust Trixie at first, her being a complete stranger, but if Spike confirmed it... I know he would never lead me to believe something like that if it weren't true. So... I actually have a twin sister. I... I have no idea what to make of that, in all honesty. _

The small party made their way around to the back of town, but when they reached the field, it was already occupied. Fluttershy lifted an arrow from where it sat stuck in the ground, notched it in an old wooden bow, and fired. It stuck fast in a target on the other end of the field, an inch or so from the center. Rainbow Dash leaned against a tree, watching her intently. He noticed the three approaching and stood.

"Any of you know anything about archery? She's getting better by the minute and I'm running out of skills to teach her."

"Wait, what's going on here? Why are you teaching Fluttershy how to use a bow?"

"She wanted to learn to fight to protect her friends, you know. Couldn't bring myself to say no. I figure this was the best way to go, at any rate. But she's already better than I am, and I need to find someone who can teach her better. So... you convince Twilight you're her sister?"

"Sure did." Trixie responded. "We were getting ready to have a magic- duel, but it looks like the arena's being used."

Fluttershy put down her training weapon. "I was going to ask about taking a break anyway. But what were you saying about Twilight having a sister?"

"Yeah, apparently she and Trixie here are twins. Go figure." Dash said, putting the complex situation into extremely simple perspective. "Anyway, I guess we're done for now, so yeah, go nuts and shoot magic at each other. I kinda want to see how that turns out. C'mon Fluttershy, let's get this stuff picked up and watch."

**Chapter Sixteen**

**Town**

**Outer Field**

Lugging the target off to the side, I finished moving the archery equipment out of the way, and took my place with the other two spectators. The two mages- one dressed casually and yet more properly for the occasion, and one in more formal attire completely unsuited for battle, took their places on opposite sides of the field.

Trixie planted her broomstick staff (Or 'Boomstick', as I had overheard her calling it) firmly into the ground. Twilight used no weapon, but had equipped a pair of fingerless gloves. Spike stepped forward. "The only rules I have should go without saying- aim to disable, not to seriously injure. We can heal small injuries, but let's not drag this into the hospital. And since it's fire and lightning, be careful not to hit any of the trees. Other than that, any light battle techniques are fair game."

He stepped back, and gave a signal for them to ready themselves. Twilight's right foot skidded back a foot or so, and she pulled one hand back and held one out, both with open palms. A small thunder spell began forming in each. Trixie spun her weapon and brandished it behind her, and a fire spell began collecting at its ends.

They charged at each other. Twilight threw her spells at her full force, and Trixie twirled her flaming staff expertly, deflecting both bolts into the dirt. She jumped into the air and brought down the staff like a spear, and Twilight spun out of the way, throwing another shot as she landed.

_Twilight's had _some _kind of training. _I admitted. _Most mages use tomes to cast spells, or at least do it from a distance. Twilight's fighting style is almost like a blend of weaker magic and martial arts, but stationary when it's a big spell, like at the castle. _Twilight caught the weapon as it approached, and lunged at Trixie with another blast. Trixie spun quickly out of the way, wrenching the staff from Twilight's grip and throwing a bullet of fire her way. Twilight backflipped out of the way.

The duel continued in this manner for some time, neither willing to accept defeat. Small wounds accumulated, and I could tell Spike was getting antsy. The two jumped back, both panting. Twilight's arms barely lifted into their stance, and Trixie was relying more on the weight of her weapon now.

And just like that, it was over. The two both stepped forward and shook hands, calling it a draw. They separated and collapsed to the grass below. Spike was quick to react, and out of courtesy I picked myself up and walked over myself. The two had fallen from exhaustion, but were otherwise fine, laughing silently. Spike hefted them both off the ground, gave me a quick grin, and began the short trek back to the library.

I looked in the sky. It was getting later in the afternoon now. I felt I had taught Fluttershy most everything I could, and told her to just keep practicing what I'd already told her until we could find a proper tutor. I handed her the old bow and arrows, picked up the bulky foam target, and let her lead the way back to her home. I dragged the thing across town and to another smaller exit on another side.

A small dirt path led away from town aways, and near a small woodland area. Situated in the center of a large group of trees was a smallish house, somewhat typically furnished with a simple porch swing, but colorfully decorated with various flowers and plants. A few small animals were visible on the fringes of the wood, not seeming to mind Fluttershy, but eyeing me suspiciously.

She opened the front door, and let me into the decently sized den. Once again, aside from the plants and clear animal presence, the furnishings were very simple. A pair of old cushioned sofas were set across from each other, and a game board of some kind sat upon a table between them.

"Ah... Here, we can just move this out of the way..." She moved over to a small chest near the door, and I set down the target to help her. We both lifted an end of it, and carried it over to the other wall.

"So, it's just you living here?" I asked. It seemed kind of a big place for one person.

"Me and Angel. But he's out training in the forest right now. I've been taking care of him ever since I found him all alone in the forest, after his family was killed, poor thing... As soon as he could lift that scythe of his, he's trained hard to protect me in return. He's not too fond of other people, though, and mostly just stays by my side."

_This world is just swimming in orphans... At least this one wasn't by Celestia's hand, I don't think. She would have taken him in that case. _"Poor guy..." I said. "I... I kinda know how he feels, actually... I never knew my parents, and spent a lot of my life taken care of by Applejack's family. It's been tough, but... I couldn't have asked for a better foster home, I guess."

The words came out slow, reluctantly. Many people around town already knew what happened to me, so it wasn't as though this was a huge secret I had been keeping- still, I found it a sore subject even now. But speaking with Fluttershy, everything seemed to be a bit easier to discuss, the atmosphere seemed generally more comfortable. Her very presence just lightened the mood wherever she was.

"Oh, I'm... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hit a sore spot..." She said quickly.

"No, it's alright. I'm the one who brought it up. I'm okay to talk about it, just kind of a little-touched subject. Ah... Anyway, I guess you want the archery stuff over by the door there?" I retrieved the foam target and set it next to the bow and quiver where they sat near the door. "So, yeah, keep practicing whenever you have time, and I'll make sure to find someone who knows how to shoot. So, you wanna head back to town?"

"Actually, I have some things to take care of around here. Animals to look after, you know. But I'll make sure to catch up later, okay?"

"Sure. Be seeing you then." I waved backwards as I stepped outside, and set off down the path back to town.

The remainder of the day passed by without much to mention- I finally got around to swinging by the bulletin board, and headed over to the farm when I saw no job offers. I lent a hand in all the various odd jobs they had to take care of- they kept several animals on hand, and had vast fields of produce to look after, some of which were ready to harvest already, among most of the others who were getting close.

The largest building on the plot of land, the living quarters, was atop a hill near the entrance, grouped in with several smaller ones- tool sheds, stables, and other farm equipment- while all the actual farmland and fenced in animal-areas lay downhill from them. After pulling in the remainder of the crops in the area, I lifted into the air with the sack I had thrown them all in, and lugged it back to the group of structures. I dropped it off at one of the smaller buildings and entered the house.

As I often did, I accepted their offer of dinner, but didn't accept any offer of cash payment. We went through this most of the time when I did work for them- unless I was really strapped for cash (in which case I would only accept begrudgingly), I would insist they keep the money. They were all family to me, and working there was just me helping to keep up the homestead.

I swung into the dining room casually, taking my usual place near the center of the long table, next to Applejack. Even before I had been taken in by the family, AJ and I had been close. She had been my companion for as long as I could remember, and probably longer. She had always been like a sister to me, and yet... In recent years, there had seemed to be something more to her. A certain quality I couldn't quite place... This had been lingering at the back of my mind for some time now, but it never became any clearer.

A few of the family's more distant members were still in town after the festival- only a week had passed since then, and since their hometowns were quite a trip from here, they usually stayed for some time. As such, the normally half-full table was nearly full. Granny Smith- the eldest member of the family and general wise-elder figure- sat at one end of the table, while Mac- stoic warrior, big brother to all, and for all intents and purposes head of the family- at the other.

Lastly, on my other side sat my other little adoptive sister person, young Applebloom. Although she didn't like to admit it, I knew she had a profound respect and admiration for me, and I had even caught her swinging around a wooden sword at some animals once or twice, mimicking the techniques she had seen me use. She had long burgundy hair and bright red eyes, and was eleven years of age now- six younger than myself and the others I had been thrown in with lately.

Dinner had already been laid out a few minutes previously for the day's workers (Myself, AJ, Mac and one of their cousins) so once I took my place we all dug in. I ate slightly more than was physically possible, as usual, collected my things, and prepared to depart. As I stepped outside into the darkened sky, I could see along the road two dull lights bouncing along frantically. They were both headed straight for the farm.

"Hey Applejack, you might want to get out here. I think we're about to have company."

**Chapter Seventeen**

**Town**

**Sweet Apple Acres**

The two lights turned as they approached the main gate and headed straight for us. I could now see two figures in light generic armor holding them, one tall and lanky, one stout and bulky. I knew them both from several missions- members of the local town militia, Vicks and Wedge.

"You two. What is it?" I said, moving to meet them. They stopped and slouched over, panting. "Spit it out guys, what happened?"

Vicks recovered first, standing to face me. "We're not quite sure. Something huge- this big-bear looking thing with fur like the night sky..."

Wedge cut in. "Look, let's just cut to the chase. It's big and terrifying and breaking freaking everything. We don't have enough man power to kill it, we need help!"

I looked to Applejack, who already had her axe. I smiled slightly, then turned back, drawing my sword. "You got it. Let's move."

"Out of my way!" I heard from behind me, and Mac charged through from another of the buildings, his Weapon in hand. I turned to AJ again, both of us more alarmed now. Mac had decided to take the field against this thing. Not only did that attest to it's power, but Mac would likely succumb to the power of the Weapon if it took too long.

"Don't just stand there! Move!" I shouted, and the four of us took off quickly. The two semi-competent soldiers soon fell behind, winded from their previous run, but the two of us didn't slow up. We both knew that if we didn't get to Mac before he finished the thing off, we'd just have to take him on instead. And _that _was something I wasn't looking forward to.

As we ran, we could see some of the damage the creature had caused- bits of wood and brick thrown from further into town, though it seemed it hadn't reached this neighborhood. A few stragglers were running in the opposite direction to escape, many of which supported others with various wounds. _How long has this thing been at it? Looks like he's already done some damage..._

I skidded into the town square with AJ right on my heels, and turned to see what we were up against. Right before us Mac stood, both hands on the hilt of the Weapon. There was no going back now- he was going to obliterate whatever was threatening the town. Looming over one of the buildings, eyeing him curiously, was the creature they must have been referring to- It was twice as tall as the largest building near it, and had the general shape of a bear, but almost seemed to disappear into the night sky if looked at head on. I had to view it out of the corner of my eye to get a good idea of what it looked like.

Nearby I could see Twilight and Trixie, panting, covered in wounds and dirt, another spell ready. Spike had drawn his dual knives, and was crouching in battle stance near them, between them and the creature. They had clearly been fighting it off for some time, apparently to little avail. I could discern no wounds on the creature, magical or otherwise. The two stood in a similar stance, and were readying a similar spell. _Looks like they've been working on some kind of combo technique. Those are usually pretty effective if you can pull them off..._

"Dash!" Twilight called, exasperated. "W-what the Hell's going on? This... This thing's insane, there's no way..."

"Get out of here, kid!" Trixie yelled, even though she was just as old, if not younger, than I was. She clearly thought herself to be in power here. "Less people get involved and hurt, the better. We've got one more card up our sleeves, though, don't we Spike?"

"I doubt if it'll be necessary now, Trixie." He said, cleverly dodging the question. "I can feel the power off that thing from here." He pointed to Mac's Weapon. "If he can use it, that thing stands no chance."

Mac spoke, seeming to have not heard him. "An Ursa Major... A creature largely thought to be of legend, whose power far exceeds that of any other, whose brute strength and cunning wit have led it to become an anti-glorious beast worthy of only the bravest heroes. A truly worthy opponent." He pointed his Weapon at it and held it aloft with ease, halving the distance between it and the creature. _I haven't heard talk like that out of Mac for years. Only time I heard that before was on that last mission, before... Good God, that thing is so screwed._

It flinched away from the blade for a moment, then barred its teeth and leapt clear over the buildings and at Mac. Snapping to attention, he swung the blade behind him with both hands, and, jumping into the air, slammed the Weapon into the creature, catching it in it's gaping maw. Time seemed to stand still as the two impacted into each other, then the beast was sent flying, landing outside the town altogether.

The sister's, as well as the few others still around the square, jaws dropped, in awe of the might of the Weapon. Such power was practically unfathomable, and I couldn't blame them for being surprised. AJ and I, though, had seen it's power first hand, and knew that we needed to stay close to Mac for when he was finished mauling the thing. As he dashed forward to engage the beast again, we ran as fast as we could to keep up, and stayed right on his heels.

He leapt over the fence guarding the town, blade brandished behind him, and brought it down heavily upon the Ursa. It attempted to dodge away from the incoming threat, but hit firmly on it's shoulder, nearly severing the limb. It rolled out of the way, and stood just in time to receive another blow, this one to its legs. It buckled under the pain and fell, rolling down an incline behind it.

Mac jumped once again, Weapon streaming to his side, and brought it down with brutal force. A sickening crack echoed out of the small ditch, and the blade came back up, the mid section slick with curiously blue blood.

"Go!" Applejack yelled, and I followed her in running to his side. She wrenched the weapon out of his grip, and it clattered to the ground, far too heavy for her to hold- only it's chosen master could hope to wield it. I rolled behind him and put him in a full nelson before he could react. He made a lunge for the blade, but I pulled back and kicked into the air slightly, keeping my wings flapping hard to keep him aloft.

He continued to struggle for a time, and it became difficult to keep him still. AJ grabbed my feet and pulled me back to earth as he began to throw me all over the place, and together we were able to hold him down much more sturdily. Soon though, the fires in his eyes began to die down, and at last he collapsed to the ground, awake but recovering his breath.

The two of us turned back in the direction of town, where the spectators we had amassed were all gathered. Spike, the mage sisters, Vicks and Wedge- as well as Rarity and a few others. They were all understandably awestruck- the battle had lasted no more than two minutes, and the terrifying beast which could be dealt no damage by them, in a pitiful little heap below. Rare was the occasion Mac fought, as he had forsworn his gift for battle wholly, save to protect his home or loved ones. And with power like the Weapon at his disposal, even rarer was the fight that required him to join in. AJ and I were some of the only people who had seen him in action like this before now.

"What... What was that? That weapon..." Wedge was the first one to speak.

"No one really knows it's true story." Applejack began. "It was dug up on the Acres many years ago, when Mac was tilling the fields. There had been a lot of rain that year, and plenty of old ground was washed away. The ground got low enough that the hilt was near the surface, and it took more than a week to dig up the whole thing. Even when we did, no one could use it. No one but Mac.

"Only explanation we could come up with was that it had some kind of ancient magic on it- Mac was the one to find it, and he's the only one who can properly use it. He don't even have to try too hard, it's just like an axe in his hands. Only thing is... As you can see, it wears on his mind after even a minute using it. He goes crazy with bloodlust, and we have to forcibly take it from him to calm him down. He knows well enough to only use it if there's no other way."

**EverFree Forest**

**House of The Hylian**

The two watched from up high, standing upon a disc of darkness held together and aloft by Link. He watched with detached interest, but Phil would have been off on a moment's notice were he in prime condition.

"Look, we can't just sit around and watch them get destroyed!" He exclaimed. I can't fight, but you could get us down there and kill it, no problem! Why let them die?"

"Calm down, lad. First off, I told you- I'm a spectator here. I'm not getting involved, and certainly not becoming a hero. Leave the precious spotlight to some other bloke, I'll just sit off to the side and record it in the pages of history. 'S true I could kill it with one well-aimed blow, but what would that serve? These people need to stay on their own feet, deal with their own problems. And if you'll look... It seems they've got something just for it."

Phil peered over the edge, and saw the blood red gleam of the Weapon as it travelled swiftly through the streets, coming to rest before the Ursa. It froze, and the two watched with amazement and slight surprise, respectively, as the fearsome spectral bear was destroyed.

"What... What the hell was that? How can anyone have that kind of power?" Phil said, especially out of breath.

Link rubbed his chin thoughtfully, eyes uncharacteristically alight. "Can't say, but... I doubt if it's master is in possession of too much of the power himself. It's all in the sword... axe... thing. Storing power in a weapon's no biggie, but to have that much, even with it's size... And who would craft something that enormous in the first place? Even with it's largeness, it must have taken decades of work to get that much energy in it. What could it be... I'm going to need to get a closer look at it before too long. This is indeed an interesting development..."

Phil only caught about the first half of the conversation, as he had become hunched over in pain without Link noticing. "S-Set us down, quick... I'm about to end this cycle, and I can't hold on much longer... All the ashes will blow away at this height... ugh..."

"Hm? Oh, sorry kid. Hang tight, I'll put us down. I think I can do a little windproof barrier, too, if we need all the ashes in one place."

"Y-Yeah, do it, just... hurry..."

Link slowly ebbed the power away from the platform, and when they reached the ground, the plank he had focused it on sat between the two. With a final cry, Phil burst into flames, and in an instant was nothing but ashes. Link moved his hand slightly, and a tiny, weak dark nexus was erected around the pile. "Wind can't touch it now, but it's weak enough he'll break right through when he gets reborn. A work of mastery if I do say so myself."

For a few minutes nothing happened. The ashes lay, the wired barrier remained, and Link found himself glancing at the timepiece he kept around his wrist. But soon the small pile of black grains began to stir, and Link watched curiously as they burst aflame once more, and a human form erupted from their core. Standing tall, wings and hair orange and red as a burning flame, Phil stood once again. Energy and vitality could be felt in the air. The broken boy who had collapsed near the fringe of the woods was long gone.

Link clapped his hands humorously as Phil turned to face him. "Not bad, right? Man, I feel like I could take that beast down myself now!"

"Certainly a sight to see, I'll admit. Only one thing, kid."

"What?"

"Your clothes are still ashes. They gonna come back at some point?"

"Agh... crap. I was distracted and rushed, I usually strip before doing that. Dangit, there goes my good leather jacket..."

"No worries, mate. I got some extra clothes. Just... Let me throw them out to you."

**Chapter Eighteen**

**Town**

**Two weeks later**

Repairs of the town were coming along nicely, keeping us all busy. The beast had managed to cause quite a bit of damage in its short rampage, so there was plenty to be fixed. I mainly found myself working with other Children of Air on the rooftops. The weather was beginning to cool down, but the sun was still powerful enough to make work difficult. I slid down to another ledge, and took a draft from my canteen. While doing so, my view drifted to the entrance to town, and I nearly choked.

Heading straight for town was a decent sized brigade of troops, all in full royal uniform. The majority of the group appeared to be archer infantry, though a few swordsmen could be seen dotted throughout the ranks as well. Three figures walked at the front, a spearsman in gleaming silver armor, flanked by two more archers.

_What's happening? Why would such a sizable group of soldiers all come in at once like this? And... Is that the Prince at it's head? This can't be good... _I could see out of the corner of my eye Twilight making her way quickly to the gates to greet them.

"Hey, cover for me for a minute, will you? I need to go check something." I said to the worker behind me, who reluctantly agreed. I slipped off the building to the streets below, and made my own way to the front of town, just after Twilight. She had come in from another path, and neither she nor the royal troops had spotted me yet. I took the opportunity to identify the most important looking of the newcomers.

As I had thought, the leader of the group was indeed the Prince Belenth, descendant of Celestia. Her apparent immortality was a mystery to all, and another reason some wanted to see her fall- one person ruling for five hundred years was obviously too much power for anyone to have. None of the rest of the royal family had been given this power, save for Luna, and the rest of the family went on throughout the ages. At this stage the Belenth was probably nine or ten generations ahead of those two. Blonde hair flowed freely without a helmet, matching the silver of his armor with gold. He stood to the side, arms folded, eyes scanning the proceedings calmly, not joining the conversation himself.

Engaged in the actual conversation were the two women also at the head, both probably in their early twenties- one with a fancy but normal sized bow, the other with a powerful looking crossbow. The prior was the image of respectable, proper authority. She wore a darker variant of the normal grey royal uniform, though went without overt amounts of armor. Long, dark hair flowed neatly behind her, nearly concealing the bow and quiver across her back, and she stood tall as she spoke.

The other was about as far flung from her as possible- She wore a leather jacket and black pants, and her short, shaggy, almost mint-green hair looked like she had only just gotten out of bed. The crossbow and a short sword hung at her belt. She was a part of the conversation, but slouched slightly, hands in the pockets of her jacket. Her bronze colored eyes were constantly vigilant, but otherwise, from a distance, she appeared disinterested. She stood just to the side of her companion, both addressing Twilight.

"Prince Belenth! Brigadier Commander Octavia!" Twilight greeted them. "What brings you here?"

Octavia answered. "The Queen was alerted of the Ursa Major attack in this town recently, and decided upon immediate action. She requested another brigade to transfer here and back up the one already here to raise defenses in the event of another attack. This being Lyra and I's hometown, we naturally volunteered at once. The Silver Arrows are at your service."

"I've come just to get a first-person perspective." Belenth stated. "Things have been happening in this town lately, and I've never been one to stay on the sidelines and hear reports. I intend to see the rest for myself. Should anything else attack, they'll have my lance to face."

They concluded their greetings, and Twilight proceeded to lead the people who were unfamiliar with the town on a basic tour. A few remained, Octavia and Lyra among them, and I stepped forward and approached them. Lyra took notice immediately, turning slightly to face me. Octavia and another archer- a boy roughly my age with dark brown hair and wings, normal grade archer armor, and a longbow slightly taller than he was- noticed her movement and turned as well.

"Any chance I could get a minute?" I said cheerfully. After the previous conversation, I had a few questions nagging at my mind.

"You are?" Lyra asked first, somewhat suspiciously.

"Remember the Elements of Harmony, whose chosen wielders 'defeated' Luna around a month ago? I'm one of 'em. Rainbow Dash."

Octavia nodded slightly, and for a split second I thought I caught a look of increased alertness. I continued. "If you're not doing anything else, would one of you mind entertaining some questions? Somewhere in the shade, it's... a little hot out today."

I could tell they got the message- I didn't need anyone overhearing us. "I'll do it." Lyra said, stalking over to me. "Lead the way, flyboy." I decided once again to go to the sandwich place, because lunch hour had already passed, and it would likely be close to deserted. Plus, I knew the owner was pretty tight lipped about gossip, even though he was bound to have heard a lot.

"Hungry?" I asked as she sat.

"I don't have all day, kid." She said. "I'd like to get back to the others as soon as possible, so just ask away and let me get on with my business."

"Right." I sat across from her. I could tell she was a lot like myself, avoiding getting close to anyone, staying inconspicuous- but she _had _agreed to answering questions away from capital ears. "I'll be frank- why are you really here? If Celestia actually wanted to buff our defenses, she would have done it right after the Luna incident. It's obvious she just wants extra eyes and ears here- but why now?"

She smiled slightly, possibly out of impressment. "You're perceptive, aren't you? I'm guessing you're not fond of her, then? Still, I'm going to need proof. I can't just spill royal information to anyone who asks."

I pulled my ace. "One month short of seven years ago. Town square here. Celestia herself attended. Ringing any bells?"

Her eyes soon widened, then again. "Oh. Oh... Yeah, I think _that _will work. Well, let's say this- the attack two weeks ago was in fact the reason, but for the wrong side. Celestia could handle an Ursa without too much trouble any day- the problem is what killed it."

"The Weapon..."

"Exactly. That blade is unlike anything she's ever imagined, and... I'll be honest, she's scared. Nothing she can do to him she knows of can change the fact that the master of that Weapon is a legitimate threat. She took some time to decide on action, but ultimately thought that tracking his actions would be the best way to go."

"So you're here to spy on him? Good luck finding it, I happen to know he keeps it locked up tight."

"Don't worry. Remember the other conversation- don't try and argue, I know you were listening in on the whole thing- Octavia and I volunteered, because we're from here? That's just it- we're loyal to the town, and swiped up the job before anyone else could- we'll feed her nice steady reports from here on out."

She had thought of everything, it seemed. "So, I take it you're not exactly 'with' her, either."

"...The event you referred to had an effect on us, too. We were your age when it happened, and couldn't abide by this madness any longer. But we knew we couldn't just jump in and end it- we'd need to bide our time. Octavia and I both decided to enlist in the Royal Army, to gain some power and search for weakness discreetly. Plus... When a revolution starts, it's always good to have an inside source."

She had become more animated in her speech- I could tell she really felt strongly about this. I hadn't even asked and she had agreed to be an informant. I knew there were several others, in town at least, that felt the same way. AJ, Mac, Trixie- if it came to it, I knew any and every one of them would join in an instant. But was there anything to join? "Between you and me... How close do you think we are to actually getting a revolution going?" I said in a low voice.

"To starting one, or it's success? Honestly... I think we could win before year five hundred rolls around. If we're lucky, that is. We'll need a miracle to take down Celestia, though. No one knows how she's immortal, and no one knows if there are any loopholes. We need someone who can figure that out, before anything else. Any ideas?"

I shook my head. "Wait, wait... Did this stop being hypothetical at some point? Are we... are we actually talking about starting a rebellion?"

"Sure. Kid, you don't realize- Celestia's been in power for nearly _five hundred years. _People only aren't voicing their dissent because they don't know others are with them. There are way more people who would be willing to join than you think. But it would still be pointless, because like I said, we need someone to find a weak spot."

I thought, my mind turning circles on me. Someone would have to be ridiculously good at stealth and digging for secrets for that. As it was, the only person who came close was too loyal to the queen to even suggest. "You'll be the first to know if I find someone."

"Likewise. We have to get organized, you know. Keep track of anyone you know who would be willing to cast in. I won't be hosting anything, to be sure, but I'll be there if you have a rally of some sort. I don't suppose you'd want to lead it?"

"Nah. I'm not that great a leader. But..." I thought of Trixie- iconic in figure, powerful in her own regard, and ready to jump into the action herself. "I may know someone who could. I won't use names, but I'll ask her sometime."

"Sounds good. And we only need individual leaders for each pocket, who will eventually join up. See..." She leaned in close. "We've already got a general for our army. Someone who has every claim to the throne afterwards. He's a little arrogant, and ambitious in the extreme, but I think he'll make a great leader."

The pieces lined up. "Belenth... He's one of the most high-ranking generals in the Army. Not to mention tied by blood to the throne to begin with, and enigmatic enough already. I've heard he's even a great fighter. You're saying _he's _on board?"

"We got lucky, what can I say? Only thing better would have been Luna- but it's impossible to contact her. Celestia's keeping her under tight guard. But Belenth is certainly the next best thing. He wanted to come along to get more well known, maybe slay a few monsters and become a hero in the people's eyes, before asking them to follow him into battle, knowing he's going to take the throne. He cares about his own reputation, to be sure, but as long as he's on our side, I could care less."

Wheels were turning in my mind. _An actual resistance. We might be on the verge of jumpstarting and _actual _resistance! _"Know that I'm in, Lyra. I'll do anything I can. Let's keep in touch, make sure we're both on the same page."

"Sure. See you later, kid." She stood, but I stopped her for one other question that had occurred to me.

"Wait. You're unit is all archers, right?"

"Mostly archers. Why?"

"Any chance you could spare someone to train a friend of mine? I don't know any other archers, and after one day she already learned everything I could teach."

"I can bring it up with Octavia. What's her name?" I told her. "Yeah, I'll see what I can do. Later." She made her way back to the entrance, leaving me sitting with my thoughts. _This thing is further along than I thought... It doesn't have a leader yet, and isn't organized much, but there are more people opposing her than I thought... I have to get ahold of Trixie. This thing might just be on the verge of happening. If we work for it... We could truly resist. But who's going to find out how to kill Celestia?... I wonder..._

**Chapter Nineteen**

**EverFree Forest- House of the Hylian**

**Another Two Weeks Later**

Time had passed quickly over the last month at the forest shack. Since entering a fresh cycle, Phil had been kept busy. Often Link would go through the book of ancient text Phil had collected, transcribing it in a fresh tome. Some were ancient writings of a historical sort- records, literature, even a few songs. Others were long forgotten spells and abilities, which he put in a separate section of the book.

As Link reached a new entry, Phil would quickly recall exactly where he had found the original text, helping to identify their origin. It wasn't just "some old ruin south of this place-"; more often it was along the lines of "an ancient stone structure nearly buried underground, a mile south of this place, written along the bottom of the east wall". Occasionally Link would copy an entry into one of his history books, especially if it was an ancient record of some event.

"You know, kid..." Link said as the two worked at another translation, sitting on the old couches around his gathering room, "I don't know if you'd thought about it, but you've got some valuable skills on you. Pictographic memory- oh, that's right, Equestria doesn't have pictographs yet... Well, it's basically a little piece of paper that an image is recorded upon, by use of a little machine- just takes the picture as it is. Wish I had one to show you, but I didn't bother grabbing one...

"Anyway, you're able to do that with your mind, a rare talent indeed. Being able to remember locations with that kind of accuracy, and judge distances so exactly, plus your habit of planning things out before hand with a mind for all those little details... You could be a great tactician if you so desired."

"Tactician, huh..." Phil thought on it. "I don't know, I'm kind of wired for fighting, too. I might want to have a say in tactics, to make sure everything will work, but I wouldn't want to do it full-time."

"I can understand that. Speaking of which, looks like this one's a battle technique, too. Looks fire based, but I've never seen anything like it. You wanna try it out when I'm done?" He nodded, and soon Link handed over the translated incantation. "I'd get that memorized right quick- the attack appears to be a punching maneuver, and you won't want to have to read off a paper to do something like that. Not that long a phrase anyway."

The two stepped outside. "Think you'll be alright here for the rest of the day, kid?"

Phil shrugged. "I guess. Why?"

"I've got to pop into town for a bit, pick up some supplies. We're going to have company soon, and I want to be able to serve them properly."

"What guests?" Phil asked. This was the first time Link had ever gone to town since he'd moved in, and he doubted if anyone else knew of this place's existence.

"Not sure exactly who or how many, but they'll get curious when they see me in town, and follow me here. Then we shall invite them to stay for a while, serve them supper and whatnot."

"So... you're going to get supplies for the people who are only going to be here because you're going to get supplies for them?"

"There's an old phrase- 'If you build it, they will come.' No idea if that means anything in context. And anyway, the reason behind it is because it is important that they meet here, so I can fill them in on things. I just want to get supplies because I am an excellent host. Anyway, if you find yourself without anything to do later, see if you can find some logs or stumps suitable for seating around a campfire, and bring them out front. There's an axe around back. Be seeing you."

Link pulled up the long hood of the black coat he had worn that day and set off, leaving Phil with his thoughts, mostly confusion about Link's roundabout logic.

**Town Square**

**That Night**

I peeked around the corner into the square, and saw Twilight turn in for the night, her bedroom lamp going out. On the other side of the building, another figure slipped out the darkened window, scrambled down the side of the wall, and made her way over to me inconspicuously.

"I still can't believe this is actually happening..." Trixie said as she reached me. "I always knew it would eventually, but to think it's so soon, and it's _me _at the head... Kinda a lot to digest."

"You were the best person for the job." I offered as we set off.

"Oh, yeah, don't worry. I intended on leading it anyway, that's not a problem. Just didn't expect it to happen _now _is all." The two of us completed the trip in silence, coming to stop before my own home. I opened it for her, and slipped in afterwards. Around the small gathering space upon various chairs were the others I had brought fourth.

I had scheduled everyone a specific time to arrive, to make it seem less obvious that anything was going on. Mac, however, had stoically refused, agreeing to lend his blade to any solid effort to dethrone the queen, but wanted no part in any other operations. Applejack of course was first to arrive earlier. To my surprise, Pinkie had arrived next.

"Pinkie? What are you doing here? Do you, uh... know what we're doing here?" I had asked.

"Sure do. Word get's around, and it always gets to me before too long. Besides, you know me, I'm not going to miss a party!" I was about to object, but she said in a lower voice: "Don't worry, though. I know to keep my mouth shut for things _this _important. I'll tell you later, but I've got my reasons for this too."

While I waited for the others, I went down the short hall on a whim, and dug around the cupboard for some snacks. Figured I may as well try and be a decent host. As I retrieved various ingredients, I became aware of _something _in the room. Almost like I was being watched...

I stopped short, and crouched near the center of the floor silently. The kitchen had a tiled floor with large square panes, around a meter across. Near the edge of one of them, a small hole was just visible, leading slightly under the tile, big enough to fit my fingers through.

I wrapped my fingers around the edge of the loose floor tile, and, lightning-fast, I removed the tile altogether. This revealed the tiny hideaway hole I had dug years ago, and used myself on countless occasions. Crouched within was the small frame and shock of red hair belonging to Applebloom, my little student of awesomeness.

She noticed the light now, and looked up at me with those big red eyes, and it was all she could do to not jump out of her hiding place in surprise. She seemed upset, and a bit frustrated, that I had located her so quickly- or at all. "Darn it! Dash, I'm sorry, but-"

"I'm not mad." I told her as she tried to bluff her way out. "More curious about how you knew that was here in the first place. But that aside- what are you doing in there?"

"I... I heard you talking to Applejack about the meeting, and... Well, I knew I wouldn't be allowed to go anyway, but I really wanted to know what was going on, so..."

While she tried to reason with me, another memory came back to me. I was in her place, and _he_ and Mac were preparing to discuss something, possibly of the same vein as what we were discussing tonight. I had found a way to fall asleep in the crevice, however, and missed the whole thing. He became aware of the hiding place the next morning, when I surfaced with him in the room.

"Are you gonna make me leave now...?" She asked. I closed my eyes for a moment, thinking. _This is pretty heavy stuff here, and I don't know if I want her listening in on it, but... She's going to find out sooner or later anyway, and I think she can handle it. Right then. _I stood, and retrieved something from the countertop. I crouched back down and handed her the cookies.

"This might take a while. Make those last." I replaced the tile before she could jump out and hug me. I gathered up the rest of the stuff from the kitchen and brought it out to the other room.

A few others arrived as well- Lyra, the longbow-man I had seen with her before (Kyle), Belenth (I was surprised to see he had decided to attend, but was glad he was ready to acknowledge us), and lastly, Trixie. Upon bringing her here, I took a seat next to Applejack, letting her have the stage.

"Well, here we are." She began. "I don't need to mention why we're here- you all know why. We've waited far long enough, and it's time we took action. Celestia's enjoyed her time on the throne for far too long, and done far too much damage to her country. It's time we prepare to take action, take her down, and heal the scars left by her on Equestria.

"We've only just begun, so we'll have to take baby steps at first. First off, we're still pretty small in numbers, so we'll probably want to find some more members, too. I don't need to stress how important it is to be _careful _who you talk to about it. Besides everyone here, we've got a good chunk of the Silver Arrows on our side-" She motioned to Lyra, "So we have a bit more than what's here. Funds won't be a problem for a while, with Belenth having access to the Royal coffers for the time being, but we'll need another source eventually.

"Then there's the problem of Celestia herself- as long as she's immortal, as it seems she is, she can just mow down any resistance personally and continue ruling, no matter how upset everyone gets about it. There has to be a way to bypass whatever defense it is she has up, but as it stands we just don't know- not like we know any other ways to become immortal anyway, but no-one knows how she did it or how to stop it. We need someone who can look into this, research the past wherever we can find it in it's unaltered state, and find some clues about it."

The rest of the meeting went by like this, Trixie stating what our missions should be, though none could be immediately accomplished. We decided to wait until we had a more concrete foundation to work with to meet again, so the organization of another meeting was put on hold. As we broke off to leave, Kyle approached me quickly.

"Hey, uh... Could you possibly do me a favor?"

I folded my arms. "What is it?"

"A little off topic, but... Do you think it would be possible for me to hang out with Pinkie at some point?"

I raised one eyebrow slightly. "Why are you asking me as though you need permission? I think you've overcomplicated this just a _little_- She's certainly not one to have anyone stand on ceremony for her. You want to hang out with her or ask her out- no, don't bother lying to me, I can see that's your plan eventually- _just say so. _It's best not to over think anything with her, especially since half the stuff she does makes absolutely no sense at all anyway."

"I draw the line at that 'asking her out' part. Hadn't even crossed my mind." He stated adamantly.

"The advice I gave you still stands. Just ask." Pinkie had been outside checking something throughout the whole conversation, and as he left, I could see them converse for a moment, and Pinkie came back inside. I could only guess he had done what I told him.

All but Applejack and Pinkie (and Applebloom) had now left, and I was about to see them home, when something stirred in the unlit corner near the door.

We watched in alarm, still as statues, as a tall human form swathed in a long hooded black coat materialized before us.

**Chapter Twenty**

**Town**

**Dash's House**

Link let his arms hang at his sides, tilted his head slightly, and stood at full height- he thought it added to the extremely mysterious dark interloper look nicely. _Now, how to proceed... I know several methods that could conceivably work just as well, but it's really all about first impressions, is it not? I'm nothing if not a showman. Should I lead them on for a while and throw an annoying little curse on them, or be all prophetic and just tell them mysteriously yet straightforwardly to just come by my house tomorrow...? Hm... _All of these thoughts were in and out before the three heroes were able to react.

"What... Who are you? How long have you been in the corner there?" The Rainbow human asked.

"To answer your questions in order," He said, "What: Pumpkin. Who: Xekora, and how long: Oh, at least a good hour now."

The time for stealth was over. It was kind of an unnecessary precaution to begin with- no one knew his actual name here anyway, and with the lack of interaction he was involved in regardless, it wasn't as though an alias was even useful or conventional. _I don't care. _He argued with himself. _Screw conventionality, it's fun to play the part._

"I have no idea who you are." The Rainbow human spoke again. "You've got some compromising information, and I don't know to trust you. Are you against the Queen?"

"I wouldn't say I'm 'against' anyone, laddie." He said, shrugging his arms. "Don't worry, I'm not about to go strutting up to the castle and tattle to the queen on you. I flit about the world and be at any location where something is happening, so that I might forge an accurate record of events in history. I rarely get involved myself, however. Just here for the show, I won't tell a soul..." He ended on a slightly musical note.

"But I'm not above influencing events ever so slightly to get a better outcome... If you're interested in taking the word of a whimsically mysterious stranger, I may have some information for you. Possibly even some answers..."

He could see the gears turning in the heads of all three. He noticed out of the corner of his eye a small redheaded girl poking her head out from the hall, but for her sake he avoided making eye contact and drawing attention to her.

"You said you record history..." The pink one started, "Then you might know something about Celestia's immortality!"

Link, or Xekora as he now admitted himself to being, could see something of himself in the pink one. The same touch of crazy humor, of whimsical insanity, the quality he had worked hard to perfect- so apparent in her, and seemingly natural in coming. If he wasn't already thousands of years old and no longer concerned with things of that nature, he might have felt a tad jealous. As it stood, though, he was and did not. "Indeed I might. But I wouldn't say such things in the middle of a settlement like this, where ears might hear us. T'would be much more secure in my little fortress of solitude in the forest."

"I gotta draw the line there." The third of the three remaining 'adults' (Xekora found it strange that these seventeen-or-eighteen-year-old kids were conspiring against the queen like this, but he decided he wasn't one to judge) stated. This one looked the basic farm girl look- long, ponytailed blonde hair, freckles, country accent, muscular arms which hovered near a battle axe near the wall- the works. He was willing to bet the hat near the door was hers as well. "You don't see anything wrong with just coming in here and leading us to some part of the forest where no-one will hear us, with just your word to go on?"

"'Course I don't." He said. "Honestly, I was just waiting to see if anyone would call me out on it. What can I do for you to make you trust me? Recall ancient happenings from memory which you can compare to something? Perhaps describe in detail the final battle of the Equestrain Civil War?"

"Don't make much difference if you were able to do that anyway- we still wouldn't know your intentions. And- how old are you, anyway, to be able to describe things like that in detail?"

"Older than you can comprehend, love." Xekora said, shrugging again. "What would you have me do to gain that trust, then? Oh! I think I know a good one, give me a moment..." With a flick of his wrist, he summoned his trusty dark knife and cut himself down without a moment's hesitation. The others jumped forward as he fell, but in an instant he was already alive again, scrambling to his feet and retrieving the dagger. They stared in awe. "I have a hunch that Celestia's immortality may be similar to mine, which, now clearly to you, I have. I suppose in the end the decision is yours to make whether or not you wish to meet me, but you'll be better for it if you do.

"I'll be ready for you tomorrow, and I'll leave subtle little signs starting near the entrance to the EverFree Forest to lead you to my home. But bring friends! Can't stress that enough. At least all six Elements, possibly some others you feel you should involve. Hope to see you then..."

He once again ended on a musical tone, drifting out the door and disappearing into the night.

"How'd it go?" Phil asked, setting another log on its side.

"Personally I think it went marvelously." Xekora answered. "Though it's sometimes hard for me to tell, I may have just seemed a crazy old man, as I am known to do. I think they'll be coming, though. Oh, also, you can go ahead and call me Xekora from now on- Link was an alias I will no longer be using."

"Oh, uh... alright. Sure. Were you able to figure out exactly _who _is coming?"

"Not exactly, but I have a better idea of it now. We'll first receive a small girl with an adorable country accent, if I'm not mistaken. Followed by, like, seven or eight others. So we're definitely going to need a few more seats. And some handkerchiefs, I think, tears of both joy and sorrow are bound to be shed tomorrow."

"Wait, wait... what?" Phil said, certainly not for the first time in his stay at Xekora's house. "What do you mean, tears will be shed? What is it we're doing tomorrow?"

"Story time!" He said, jumping at Phil slightly. "You'll see tomorrow, I'm not letting you get out of it."

**Town**

I saw the two off as they left to tell the others, and as they left my sight I ducked back inside, grabbed Applebloom, and took off for the Acres. I felt for her, and didn't want her getting chewed out for sneaking out to listen in like she did. I flew overhead for the majority of the trip, though as far as I could tell she had never flown before, and mostly chose to hang on tight and not look down.

I touched down further into the fields, where we wouldn't be seen. "Dash... what's gonna happen tomorrow? I know you decided to tell everyone else about it before figuring it out, but... Do you think you should go?"

I stuck my hands in my jacket pockets. "Hard to say. The bottom line is we _need _a lead, and this guy says he can deliver. Like it or not, he's the only chance we have right now. Still, there's just something... _wrong _about him. I can't bring myself to completely trust him no matter how hard I try. I think we should hear him out at least, but then just try and separate ourselves from him."

"But... I don't know, I mean, we only just met him. We don't know that he's a bad person, and I think we should at least give him a chance, anyway."

"I know, I... I know. I want to give him that chance, don't get me wrong, it's just... I don't know. There's just something I can't place about him that just puts me on edge. Maybe he can be trusted, I can't say, but I can't help but be wary of him. Anyway, we'll figure this out, don't worry. I know you probably don't want to hear this, but just stay at home tomorrow, and we'll handle it. I know you want to be involved, too, but I don't want you in danger if anything goes wrong. Alright?"

She never did like being told exactly what to do, especially when it meant staying at home and leaving the action to others, but it being me asking, she sighed and reluctantly agreed. I thanked her, ruffled her hair and sent her on her way back home.

I leapt into the air again, now coasting towards the edge of town, where Fluttershy lived. The three of us who had met Xekora had agreed to split off and inform the others of his offer, and to meet at the sandwich place in the morning to discuss it further. Pinkie had elected to meet Rarity (just as well, between the three of us she stood the best chance of actually getting ahold of her), and Applejack had decided to hit the library to contact Twilight. As I thought about it, I could imagine Trixie being interested as well, probably insisting that we go and bring her along.

I banked and landed near her house, and saw the small white form of Angel standing on the porch, gazing stoically at the full moon. He noticed my arrival, and flipped over the railings, a small dagger in hand. I put my hands up surprisedly. "Wait! Don't worry, it's just me." He stopped as he heard my voice and saw me up closer. We hadn't conversed too much anyway, so I didn't blame him for not recognizing me in the dark, but he did know who I was.

"Dash? What is it?" He asked warily, and slightly wearily.

"I needed to talk to Fluttershy about something. Can I see her?"

"She is tired from training today. I don't want to wake her." Almost immediately after I had asked, Octavia had sought her out and had her demonstrate what she already knew, and, in an event I was told is incredibly rare, she elected to teach Fluttershy herself. From what I had seen, she was making leaps and bounds, but the training was tough. In addition to actual archery, she was also being taught basic battle instincts and evasive techniques, as well as a few specialized airborne archer skills from Kyle.

"Ugh, fine, take a message then? The other Elements are meeting at the sandwich shop tomorrow morning- for food, and to discuss something of importance. Can you do that?"

"I'll tell her in the morning, yes." With that, he went back to the house and went inside, and I returned to my own home, collapsing on the bed. It had been a long day, and tomorrow was bound to be longer.

**Chapter Twenty One**

**Town**

**Sandwich Shop**

Twilight made her way to the sandwich shop quickly, Trixie and Spike beside her. Applejack had been frustratingly vague about what was actually being discussed this morning, other than it was important. Trixie curiously had been eager to go, but denied knowing anything more about it. Spike said he wanted to tag along as well, curious and slightly apprehensive about what this was all about.

As the three approached the outdoor dining area, she saw both Pinkie and Rainbow Dash both seated already, chatting idly. They noticed the other's approach and turned. "Hey." Dash greeted them simply. "I guess you two wanted to tag along, too?"

They sat and waited for the others, as no-one would say anything until everyone had arrived. Rarity was next to show up, along with Fluttershy. They both had their weapons on them, and Twilight noticed that everyone else had brought something to fight with as well. _I don't really have a need of a weapon, so I guess I'm alright, but... Why does everyone look ready to fight? _Neither of the newcomers seemed to have any idea what was going on, either.

Last to arrive was Applejack, who looked worried. "Sorry I'm late, but I can't find Applebloom anywhere!"

Dash swore under his breath. "Darn it, Applebloom..." He sighed and addressed everyone. "I think she went off to find him herself."

Applejack started. "What? But, how would she even know about him anyway?"

"She may or may not have been listening in on the whole meeting." He said simply. "Point is she's likely out in the middle of the forest right now, let's go get her back."

"Wait, she heard the whole thing and you knew the whole time?" Applejack asked, exasperated.

"I take full responsibility, yes, but let's save it until we find her?" She sighed, reluctantly agreed, and the two set off.

"Wait, just wait a minute." Twilight said, following the others, thoroughly confused. The rest of the group also followed, most just as lost as she was. "What is going on here? Who is it she went to find?"

"Applejack, Pinkie and I were approached by some guy, Xekora I think he said he was, last night." Dash said as they walked. "Said he had some information for us, and some of the stuff he said really piqued my our interest. Plus he appears to be immortal. We were going to decide this morning whether or not to take him up on his offer and meet him at his forest-house, but it looks like Applebloom made the decision for us."

"How do you know that's where she is?" Twilight asked.

"Because I told her not to, of course. Her curiosity is infinite, and being told not to do something always make's kids her age want to do it more. Today's not a school day, anyway, so I can think of nowhere else she could be if not home."

"Wait, wait." Trixie interrupted. "Did you say his name was Xekora?"

"That's who he said he was. Why, you know him?"

"So he's finally come out of hiding... Good God, we're all screwed now. If he's handing out info about this... things are sure to get interesting..." She ended with a mischievous chuckle, but refused to elaborate, leaving Twilight more frustrated and confused than ever.

The party of eight made their way outside of town and to the entrance to the EverFree forest, looking around for any clues. According to Pinkie, Xekora had said he would leave a subtle trail starting here, but Twilight couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. "Here." Fluttershy spoke up suddenly. "That branch stuck in the ground there... It wouldn't be like that normally, I think that might be it."

She moved over to the upright branch she had indicated, then looked around carefully. "And there! There's a bit of cloth on the tree there." She led the way through the various waypoints, everyone else following behind.

"I'm impressed, Fluttershy." Twilight said, walking near her. "I guess you've been getting more of an eye for detail with your training?"

"I suppose it's a bit from that..." She said sheepishly. "I think it's mostly because I know the area around the town and the forest like the back of my hand. I have to go in a lot for herbs and things, so I know my way around. I've... I've never been this way, this far though... I just have a general idea of what it _should _look like, so I look for anything that isn't part of that... I never found any buildings in the forest, though, so we're still going just by these signs..."

Indeed, as the forest grew denser, and whatever path they were using disappeared, their progress slowed considerably. Spike, having some experience in the wilderness of his old home, joined Fluttershy in scanning the area for out of the ordinary features. Twilight watched the two curiously. _You know, I didn't notice it until now..._ She thought. _But Spike _has _been hanging around Fluttershy a lot lately. I don't think it's anything serious- Spike looks around twenty, but he's actually a _lot _older, and he's not the kind to do that... But I think he is becoming fond of her, to some degree._

The trees nearly blocked out the sky, and Rarity apprehensively cast a light spell above their heads. As Spike called out the next way marker, Twilight headed up the rear of the group. As she stepped forward to join the others, she heard a slight noise behind her, and stopped short. She turned, but saw nothing. _Probably just a stick falling off a tree. _She concluded, and hurried to catch up with the others.

The party continued on, eventually coming to a large clearing. They seemed to have reached the end of the journey, as it was clear someone lived here. A decent sized wooden house was situated near the back of the clearing, and in the center was a fire ring, with numerous log-chairs and a campfire. Though a cauldron of something or other was cooking and filling the area with a pleasant aroma, no one else could be seen.

"Well, this is the place, looks like." Applejack said. "But where is he? Or Applebloom?"

"Maybe inside?" Dash offered. The two went over to the building and tested the door, which opened without much effort. "I guess there's not much need to lock it out here..." They entered the house and began looking around, while the others stayed outside.

"Weird, he said he'd have things ready for us if we decided to come..." Pinkie mused. "Looks like he set up a campfire for us, but why isn't he here? Ah, maybe he went out to get some more wood." She pointed out the remains of a stack of firewood.

"That is precisely what I did." A low, accented voice spoke from behind them. Twilight spun around to face him, but had to look up. She wasn't the tallest to begin with, but the newcomer _was_- at least a foot taller than her. He had spiky black hair, pupil-less black eyes, and basic leather clothing. A bundle of sticks was under each of his arms, and he regarded the group curiously, tilting his head slightly. "Brought a few more than I expected, I see.

"So it is you, isn't it Xekora?" Trixie said, smiling. "We're in for it now, aren't we?"

"Ah! Trixie, my dear, s'been a long time, hasn't it? C'mere, give your kindly human uncle figure a hug." Strangely, though Trixie was exactly the opposite of the type who would run up and give someone a joyful hug, she did just that. Whoever this Xekora person was, Trixie appeared to be on very good terms with him. He removed her hat and ruffled her hair. "Kind of a silly hat, if you ask me. The whole ensemble does suit you, though."

"What's _that _supposed to mean?" She half asked, half giggled. This all seemed a bit strange to Twilight, as she had never imagined Trixie capable of affection like this- she was always so stoic and aloof around others.

"So, I take it you've met?" Twilight asked.

"Uh... Did I ever mention I owe him my life?" She asked in return.

"No, I think you somehow failed to mention that."

"Huh. Well... Yeah. I owe him my life. See, what happened was-"

"No, no!" Xekora interrupted. "Don't say it yet! Save it, we're going to have a big community story-telling thing in a bit, you'll have plenty of chance then."

Before Twilight was able to inquire further, another voice called from across the clearing, possibly from behind the house. Hearing it made her stop short.

"Hey, Link- er, Xekora, sorry, _I am never going to get used to that. _I think I found most of the stuff you wanted. What did you want me to do with it?- Woah, people. Guess they did decide to show up, huh?" She turned slowly to face him, and her eyes widened. His hair and wings glowing in the sunlight like fire, bright orange against the black leather jacket he now wore. His familiar dusty brown pants and basic white work-shirt were still constant, as were his black gloves, identical to Twilight's own. He tossed the bag of herbs and whatnot at the front of the house on Xekora's request, then turned to face the group.

He stopped similarly when his eyes rested on Twilight, as caught by surprise as she was. When she finally found her voice again, she spoke his name, almost in a whisper: "Phil?"

Upon hearing his name, his eyes softened, and he cast his arms out slightly. "Twilight." He confirmed, and she launched herself at him, beyond caring that the whole assembly was probably watching the event unfolding. He caught her as she threw her arms around him, wrapping both his arms and wings around her. They both stayed silent for some time, before he broke the silence quietly. "Sorry I had to disappear like that all of a sudden. I meant to get a message to you somehow, but some things happened, and I was forced to wait it out here for a while. I... I really missed you."

She felt herself blush slightly against his shoulder. "Why did you run away like that, anyway? Celestia sent me a message saying to be on the lookout for you, and to figure out why. She seems pretty worried about you too."

He didn't speak for a moment. "I didn't really run _from _the castle, but for something else. Something's wrong right now, Twilight, and I think the capital might be in danger. I left to investigate, but just slipped out so no-one else has to be worried about it yet. I was too weak to go much further when Li- Xekora found me and sheltered me. I was going to take off pretty soon, anyway, so I guess it's pretty lucky for both of us that you came here today! Just about missed me."

Satisfied with the answer for the time being, she rested her head on his shoulder again, closing her eyes. Normally she wasn't this affectionate either, but with Phil's sudden disappearance and weeks of worrying about him, she was just glad to see him alive and well.

**Chapter Twenty Two**

**EverFree Forest**

**House of the Hylian**

After scouring the house unfruitfully, finding various strange and unfamiliar objects of curiosity, we were forced to accept that no-one was home. Signs clearly pointed to the house being occupied, though, possibly by more than one person. "Is someone else living out here? Who else could be staying in the middle of the woods like this?"

"Could be just a friend of his." Applejack stated. "A better question would just be 'who would live out here', not 'who else'." I conceded her point. We still knew next to nothing about Xekora's true motives or nature, and we had no way of knowing if he was the only one. "Still no sign of Applebloom though."

"Yeah..." I didn't want to admit it, but I was starting to get a little worried. Not to say I wasn't concerned before, but I was sure this was where she would have went. We still had no proof she had even come here, or where she was now. "C'mon, let's get back to the others." We returned through the narrow hall to the front room, and out the door.

"Woah, what's with all the hugging?" I said immediately. Both of the mage-twins were being embraced by unfamiliar faces. I was able to guess that the one with Trixie was probably Xekora, but I had no idea who the other one was, save for the other occupant of the house. Twilight seemed very comfortable around him, I found myself thinking. The two forest dwellers turned to greet us.

"Ah, everyone seems to be here, excellent." Xekora said, his voice confirming it was him. "Wait, what were you doing in my house?"

"Looking for you. We expected you to be here when we arrived, so we were curious. That and snooping around a little." I said honestly. Fortunately, he didn't seem too off-put about it.

"Awright, let's see here." He said, moving over to me with a quick, loping gait. "I think we're about ready to get going here, but..." He dropped his voice. "Tell me, is everyone here on the same page, you know, as the rest of you were last night?"

I understood what he was saying, and looked to Twilight in such a way that he would see. "Not exactly..."

He shrugged. "Ah, no worries. I'll explain the situation best I can. Then you can fill them in on all the more _precise _details later."

"Oh, hey, wait. I don't suppose you've seen anyone else pass through here- specifically a little girl with red hair?"

"Her? Yeah, she dropped by around half an hour ago, wanted to help get things set up for the main group. Sent her for some herbs that would have taken Phil over there twice as long to get to, she should be back... Now." He pointed over to the right of the house, where Applebloom had just emerged from the woods with a small bag full of some kind of leaf. She stopped when she saw everyone, particularly Applejack. She didn't look surprised, exactly, but rather seemed to be preparing for being reprimanded.

Applejack was all over it. (Plus I didn't think I would have done much anyway- Applebloom always reminded me of myself too much, and more often than not I would take pity on her. Applejack didn't have that problem, however) "Applebloom, what were you thinking? You can't just wander off like that, we were worried sick!"

"Sorry." She offered. She looked to me out of the corner of her eye, but I could only shrug sympathetically. _Nothing I can do for you now, kid._ "I know I should have told you, but I had to see what was going on. I can tell something's happening, and I don't want to just sit on the sidelines anymore. I need to know what's going on for myself."

Applejack folded her arms. "I might have let you come if you'd have just asked." She said quietly.

"No you wouldn't have. I would have to explain how I heard about it in the first place-"

"Dash already told me. I'm not happy about that either." She turned to me. "With either of you. I don't like things being kept from me , neither." I looked to the ground. I might have argued, but this wasn't the time. Plus it killed me whenever I had to disagree with her.

"Even if I had brought it up, you would have just told me to stay home." Applebloom said adamantly. "I'm done sitting out on the action, sis. I'm old enough to understand what's happening, and I'm not gonna let you leave me in the dark, with you out there fighting. I don't just want to be there just for myself, sis. I want to help."

Applejack closed her eyes, thoughtful for a moment. I gave Applebloom a subtle nod, but she saw it. _Good job, kiddo. _AJ turned to me again. "Dash?"

I sighed slightly. "I think she's got a point. She's not ready to take to the field like she was saying- not by a long shot-" She huffed slightly. "But I think she's old enough to be able to understand the grand scope of things. I think we should at least let her sit in on the discussions like this."

Applebloom was ecstatic about this, but I could tell Applejack was still on the fence about it. I put my hand on her shoulder. "I know she's still young, and you want to protect her. But she's not helpless anymore. She can handle this, I know it. Besides," I lifted my arms slightly for dramatic effect. "You were about her age when Mac started giving you the same slack. Same with me. She'll be alright."

She gave me a small smile, then turned back to her sister. "Alright, then. But I still expect you to behave yourself!" Applebloom threw herself at the both of us before she was able to finish, barely managing to get her arms around us both.

"Besides, it's not as though we're going to be discussing too much critical stuff here anyways." Xekora spoke up, retrieving Applebloom's bag of stuff and dumping most of it blindly into the cauldron on the fire. "Mostly what we've got to do is bulk you guys up as a team, so that when you find yourself faced with your toughest enemy, you can do some wicked awesome combo moves. _That's_ what being a team is all about."

"Really?" I asked. "So team building exercises, then? I... I'm sorry, but I can't see the usefulness in that. Oh, off topic, but what is it that you're making? You sent Applebloom and... Phil, was it? You sent them to get stuff for it, so it must be important, right?"

"Ah, not really. It's an old recipe from back home for Elixir Soup. Just something to have for everyone to eat. I am an excellent host like that. So, I think everyone's here, so we can... Wait." He turned slightly, tilting his head in the direction of the forest, from which we had entered the clearing. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then cast out his hand, a sphere of darkness forming before it. Small pebbles and sticks gravitated towards it, and as it began to get crowded, he threw it forward.

The rubble, caught in the darkness, shot forward like tiny black arrows, peppering the ground and kicking up dust. For a moment, nothing happened- then the spray altered direction ever so slightly, and a small voice yelped in surprise. From within a bush where he was hiding, a boy looking to be about Applebloom's age leapt out backwards, dodging away from the tiny projectiles. He kept his orange wings tucked against his body to make a smaller target, yet still managed to dance away from the shots while barely touching the ground, his unkempt violet hair whipping about him.

Landing with his foot planted firmly in the ground, he pulled his arms behind him, then threw them forward. A powerful gust of wind followed his hands, and the missiles were blown off course, landing harmlessly in the dirt. The last of them hit near his foot, which he used to kick up a nearby stick, which he caught and brandished like a spear in his left hand.

Xekora folded his arms, impressed. I was inclined to agree with him. _That spell he used... When I was his age, it would have taken me five minutes to prepare one that big and powerful. He did it in half a second! Who is this kid?... Whoever he is, he's got skill... And style._ I noted as he ran his other hand through his hair idly, realizing the threat had passed. "Well, come on kid. We don't have all day." Xekora said, motioning for him to come over to the clearing. He looked up slightly and squinted. "You too, lassie. Don't think I don't see you in that tree there."

From above the boy in the treetops, another small form scrambled down quickly. She looked to be about as far flung from the first kid as possible- while his clothing was rather basic and his hair went about its own business, her clothes were much more on the fancy side, and her hair- streaked pink and light violet- fell in short, neat curls. She dropped to the ground next to the boy, and they both approached us.

Rarity moved in on them quickly, specifically the girl. "Wha- Sweetie Bell, what are you doing here?" I watched as almost the exact same argument between AJ and Applebloom repeated itself between these two.

"So... Rarity has a sister?" I asked no-one in particular.

"Yeah." Applejack responded. "You didn't know that?"

"I was completely unaware of that. Weird. Anyways, what about you, kid?" I asked the boy. "You got someone to lay into you for coming here?"

He pretended to look around the clearing, but I could tell he was by himself here. "Nope. Just came out of boredom, really. I don't know anyone here personally except Sweetie Bell, and she pretty much just wanted to come 'cause her sister did."

"Were you planning on getting any closer to the clearing? I doubt if it would have been worth anything if you just stayed way over there." I pointed out.

"What, you mean so we could hear what was going on? We could hear just fine from there. I know how to bend the air just so- so that it carries sound way further. And Bell, well... I don't know what to tell you, she's just psychic like that. I don't get how she does it, but she can just know about stuff, and she's done it from way further than that."

I was getting more and more impressed with him. I had never even considered using wind magic for reconnaissance like that. And anyway, it must have taken a large amount of concentration to pull off. "Well," I said, putting my hands in my pockets. "If no-one else is going to chew you out, I guess it's pretty much unnecessary. I don't think anyone minds you staying. What's your name?"

"Scootaloo."

"Rainbow Dash. Nice to meet you."

"Yeah, I've seen you around. I noticed a lot of the stuff you do, fighting and flying and all- Gotta say, clearing away clouds with a sword, then turning around and beating someone up with the same sword- That is just amazing. You're awesome."

I spun around and faced Applejack, arms spread. "See? _He_ thinks I'm awesome!" I turned back as she shook her head, chuckling. "Though as much as I'd love to take all the credit for my awesomeness for myself, I have to be honest- I wasn't the one who first thought of it. The weather-control part was mostly me, but I got most of my areal swordsmanship techniques from someone else. I guess you're too young to remember them, but when I was little, there was this group- they worked as mercenaries mostly, but did demonstrations a lot too."

My voice rose excitedly, childhood wonder rushing back to me. "Six warriors- Axe and Lance at head, Sword and Ice at rear, Bard and Archer to the sides- So the WonderBolts burned across the sky, vigilante guardians of Equestria. When evil threatened the land, they would be there, and none would dare stand in their way. Mercenaries as they were, they would never leave their kingdom to suffer. With two fell strokes from the head, Spitfire and Soren, their final attack 'Burning Scar' would leave even the mightiest of foes would be rendered helpless. Never before has any group of individuals been so dedicated to kickassery."

His eyes had widened in wonder, and I found that I had been similarly entranced with my own words, making animated gestures and poses. Sadly, my voice dropped for the next part. "Unfortunately, they're not around anymore... A few years ago, Spitfire just... disappeared. No goodbye note, no confidants, nothing. To this day no-one knows what ever happened to her. The team basically fell apart after that- They say that Soren wasn't much of a leader, and none of the others were able or willing to take the head. They all went their separate ways pretty soon, to each their own destiny. It's nigh impossible to track any of them down now, 'cept for Soren. He still does regular mercenary work, and I'm proud to say Applejack and I once served on the same mission with him. But the others just don't appear anymore.

"But the world is slow to forget a force so destructive and heroic as them, and I've taken their values to heart. Applejack and I, though not totally airborne, have done our best to exemplify the selfless guardianship to our home as they did, and look as badass as possible while doing it. We're no WonderBolts, but that never stopped me."

"Wow..." Was all he could say. He shook his head and looked up at me. "Maybe we could do something like what they did- we just need more people! When I'm done with school, I'll totally join up! I'm already a great lancer- watch!" He gripped his stick staff and began a complex series of attacks, the wind at his beck and call. I had to admit, he wasn't entirely going on childhood confidence in his own abilities or lack thereof- he knew what he was doing with that makeshift weapon.

_In a few years, with the right training, this kid could be a force of nature with those wind powers of his. If he still wants in by then... Yeah, I'd take him._

**Chapter Twenty Three**

**EverFree Forest**

**House of the Hylian**

Everyone soon situated themselves around the fire, a bowl of the ungodly amazing soup in hand. I sat directly next to Applejack, and a bit further to my other side was Fluttershy. Next to her was Spike, then Trixie, Twilight, and Phil. Pinkie was next, then Rarity, then the three children, who had gotten to talking. Xekora stood before his seat, back facing the house, completing the circle.

"Right. Let's get down to business." He said, addressing the crowd. "As I understand it, not everyone here is aware of the threat we're dealing with now. I'll fill you all in as best I can. Point is there's an army in the making, and they are seriously overpowered. Their leader is nigh unstoppable, and believed to be immortal. I do, however, think there's a way to break this barrier, and I'll give you more details on that at the end of our meeting. As it stands, you are all on the path to becoming great fighters, but it goes without saying you can do nothing alone. I will show you the path to unlocking your true power as well, but it's just as important that I bring you all closer, that you may combine your abilities and be even more powerful.

"Now, best way to do that I think is to delve into your own past, share your most influential experiences with the others, and be there for each other to share the burden and pain- as I seriously doubt it will be a good experience anyone will be sharing. If anyone else here is part of your story, you may want to have them help tell it, to give us the whole picture. I won't ask anything of the kids here, as they probably don't have many life-changing experiences- though it they want to give something, by all means. The rest of you, though, really ought to. I'll even give a bit of my own story once everyone else has."

He sat down, and everyone fell silent. What he was saying made very little sense, and I wasn't sure just how much bonding as a team would really help that much. I had to admit, the bit about 'unlocking our true power' was intriguing, but I wasn't sure story telling was going to be very effectual. Still, I had been debating bringing these memories to bear, to face these demons once and for all, and share with everyone my story. I turned to Applejack. "It's time, isn't it?"

She looked back, sympathetically. "I guess so. I'll be here for you, Dash. I can take over whenever you need me to."

I nodded, thankful for her presence, and we stood. "Right." I started. "Regardless of reason, I think you all deserve to know the truth. I'll give my story here and now, all of it. I haven't... I haven't had to talk about any of this since it happened, so... I'm sorry if it gets hard for me to continue. I'll do my best. So, this is around seven and a half years ago. I still lived in the same house I do now, me and... My brother."

**Year 491, Equestria Callander**

**Town; Dash's House**

**Rainbow Dash**

I sat upon my bed, staring up at the stars through my window, sleep having long since abandoned me. It had left around the same time Applejack had. She had set off a week ago, to the city of Manehattan, to break away from her farm girl destiny and start anew. I had put on my best brave face for her, and held it up until she and Mac disappeared on the horizon.

I fell apart right afterwards, and had been a wreck ever since. I could barely eat or sleep, and had only once left the house over the whole week. I tried as hard as I could to resurrect my usual facade, but it was for nothing. She was gone, and no-one was fooled- I was obviously upset.

"You really miss her, don't you?" A familiar voice asked from behind. I turned slowly to face him. Ultraviolet leaned against the doorway, looking at me with slight concern. He wore jeans and a black shirt, though had removed his classic brown leather jacket. His dark blue hair, which faded out to green on one side and violet on the other, fell well past his shoulders, and it had been brought into question on more than one occasion if it had ever once been cut. He had just recently turned twenty-two years old.

"Yeah..." I said after a pause. I didn't know what else to tell him, seeing as he knew the answer already anyway.

He closed his eyes, sighed, and began murmuring to himself. "Wonder if a week is really long enough for the truth to show itself... Well, now that I think about it, for a kid that young, it's no doubt more than enough time. But is it my place to interfere?... Wait, hah, why do I suddenly give a crap where my place is?" He stood suddenly, walking over to me. "Tell you what, kid. Try to get some sleep- we're going on a trip tomorrow." With that, he left the room, leaving me alone again.

I soon retrieved a luggage case and began packing, the wheels of my mind turning. _What is he talking about? Where is he taking me- it... it couldn't be Manehattan, could it?_

**Manehattan; Apartment Building, Floor 6**

**Applejack**

_What was I thinking..._ I thought, staring up at the stars, or what I could see of them with all the light- charged stones serving as light sources all around the city. They weren't a bad sight from a distance themselves, but they still stole the show from the better backdrop. Nothing could compare to staring up at the stars, and yet it didn't look like it was going to happen here.

Sighing, I just decided to flop over on my bed to mope. _They told me that this was a huge choice, and that they wouldn't let me change my mind too easy. Mac even tried to tell me it wasn't a good idea! Agh, why didn't I listen...? Now I'm stuck here, and I just miss everything... Mac, Granny Smith, Little Applebloom... And with Mom sick, too... I probably should have stayed home... _

_I wonder how Rainbow Dash is doing without me. He's probably fine, really. He's always so tough, just like his brother. I'm sure he'll find someone else to hang out with, like... You know, come to think of it, I don't think he really has many other good friends... But, he'll be fine, I bet... I wish I could say the same. I never thought I'd miss him so much... Maybe I should write him a letter._

I pulled myself out of bed again, glad to have something- anything- to occupy my mind. I sat at the small wooden chair in front of the desk near the door, and after some digging its drawers, retrieved a half-filled ink well, some paper, and a quill. I looked at it idly for a moment. _This is so fake. Ah well, it's probably better for writing than one of those little blue feathers of Dash's anyway... Still rather have one of those, though. _

Shaking my head, I wet the quill and set to work. I tried as best I could to put a positive spin on what I was writing, but as I went on describing the past week, having to adjust and change everything I'd ever known, not to mention knowing exactly no-one outside of the Aunt and Uncle I had moved in with, I began to tear up. A few stray drops hit the paper on its edges, but I at least avoided blurring the ink.

As soon as I got on the topic of town, of everyone else, of _him_, a lump formed in my throat, but I managed to finish the letter before I had to throw myself on the bed again. I hadn't been there for a minute before I pulled myself together. Furrowing my brow and pushing myself off the bed, I moved to the desk, and let the ink dry. The moment it did, I folded the letter neatly, crept out into the den, stuffed it into an envelope, and placed it in the mailbox just outside the apartment.

Closing the door carefully, I made my way back to my room, and tried pointlessly to get some sleep.

**Rainbow Dash**

Somehow, I managed to get a bit of sleep that night, but woke up with plenty of energy in the morning. I made my way down the small hallway quickly and turned into the kitchen, where Ultraviolet was already reclining in his chair, coffee in hand. This was perhaps the first time in anyone's memory that he had awoken before I did. He turned to face me. "You ready, kid?" He asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, but, where are we going?"

"Already cleared it with Mac last night. We're city-bound, kid. I don't know about you, but I want to see what's so much better about that dump than our little town here. Let's see what all that fuss AJ made was about, and if she still thinks it was worth it, yeah?"

I grinned excitedly and nodded. _This might be my only chance to make things better. I have to try and bring Applejack back home._

"Well, grab some breakfast then. We fly as soon as you're ready." I did my best to eat something, but now it was my nerves taking away my appetite. I managed enough to satisfy him, and he grabbed a shoulder pack for the trip. "It's not _too_ far by air, and I don't see us being there for more than a day or two, but it's best to be prepared anyway."

We walked outside and, getting a running start, kicked off the ground and into the air. My smaller sky blue wings fell in unison with his mighty midnight ones, and a few stray feathers floated gently to the ground as we gained momentum. Together we glided clear over the rooftops of our hometown and across the vast green fields that lie between.

We flew for a time, made a stop at a little group of shops and houses that might have been called a town, and set off again. Luckily, we reached Manehattan about halfway into the afternoon. The two of us touched down on the cobble road, and looked around in some awe. Back home, a two story building was somewhat unusual, and the only building that exceeded that height was the mansion Rarity's family lived in. Here, ones with five or six floors weren't unheard of. This was a city of magic- iron strengthened with unnatural flame forged sturdy buildings, and gems infused with light lit them with un-flickering radiance.

Ultraviolet folded his arms, thoughtful. "Right. Mac wasn't sure exactly where the place is, so we might have to do a bit of looking around. He had a general idea of where it was, but he hasn't been here in a while, so he wasn't sure of the specifics. Wish I could have gotten ahold of Granny Smith..." He led the way through the busy streets, occasionally stopping to look for landmarks. An hour passed as we went no-where fast.

"Well shoot." He said finally. "I officially have no clue where we're going."

Just as I was about to criticize him for leading us around for nothing, a scream from nearby interrupted me. We looked to each other quickly, then both instinctively started running towards the source. He kicked at a loose metal rod as he passed it, caught it in his hand, and swung around the corner to a side-road, me keeping close at his heels.

**Chapter Twenty Four**

**Year 498**

**EverFree Forest; House of the Hylian**

**Fluttershy**

"So the two of us spun around the corner, and we saw four guys, most around sixteen or seventeen, and they were surrounding this girl about my age- at the time, I mean. The fourth guy was all dark and mysterious, couldn't tell a thing about him. None of them had seen us yet, but we had a good enough view of what was happening. She was against the wall, and..."

Rainbow Dash trailed off slowly, and began turning his head curiously to look at Fluttershy. She tried not to shy away. She knew that he had finally made the connection she made ages ago. Everything was likely rushing back to him, everything that happened that day, seven years ago.

His eyes widened, and he groaned, putting his hand to his face. "Oh, _man _am I slow... Fluttershy- it's you! I've been hanging around you for more than a month, and I'm only just now realizing _you're _that girl we bailed out!"

She nodded slightly. "That's right."

"Wait, did... Did you know that this whole time? Well, I mean, I guess you only meet so many guys with rainbow hair, but... Man, why didn't you ever say anything?"

"It's... it's not an easy thing to bring up..." Fluttershy replied, shifting in my seat.

He hit himself silently. "Ah, 'course. Well, you wanna come up here and help tell this story, or should I just keep at it?"

She looked away slightly, but knew what she had to do. "No... No, this is my story too. I'll... I'll do my best." She stood and walked over to him and Applejack, who had been narrating together so far. Fluttershy turned slowly to face the others, who were looking to her sympathetically. Spike, she noticed in particular, gave me a small nod as she began.

"Well... yeah, so I was stuck... I don't know what I ever did to them, but they were pretty angry... I'd seen three of them around school, but never talked to any of them. But the fourth..."

**Year 491**

**Manehattan; Back Road**

I stood against the wall, trying to make as small a target of myself as possible. I had no idea what I was in for, but it didn't take a genius to know it was nothing good. The three I recognized were all recent graduates from the same school I attended, but I wouldn't have trusted any of them for a second. The all had acquired a sword or a knife at some point, and while none of them were being pointed anywhere, they were clearly visible, an active but unspoken threat.

The fourth, though, was a complete mystery. Covered in a black cloak, arms folded, and head down- but I could still feel that fourth pair of eyes trained on me. I couldn't even tell whether it was a boy or girl- though I could only guess it was another male, judging by his company.

"This the one?" One of them asked.

"Yes." The hooded figure responded. His voice confirmed he was male. "Fate shone upon her, and luck upon us. She'll make a perfect addition to The Order. Seize her now, and you'll have earned your place as well."

The three nodded solemnly, and advanced. There was nothing I could do- I had no idea how to fight, and they had me surrounded. There was nowhere to go, and all I could do was close my eyes and wait for whatever they were going to do.

"BOINK!" Someone yelled, and I heard a metallic clang of steel hitting something else. I opened my eyes now, and saw a tallish figure with a brown leather jacket, blue-green-purple hair, and large midnight blue wings flaring out behind him. He held a broken metal rod, probably once a building material, in his hand, and one of the aggressors now stumbled to the ground. He cocked his head at the other two, and pulling the rod over his head, brought it down upon the head of a second.

"Bonk." He said comically as it connected. The first had recovered, the third registered what was happening, and both drew their swords and charged at him. The second clutched his head in pain, crouching on the ground. The hooded figure made no move to help his accomplices, and instead elected to watch the proceedings with interest, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. I tried to inch away from the conflict, but the second figure managed to pull himself to his feet, and scrambled after me, drawing his knife.

"No you don't!" He yelled. I cried out weakly, trying to back away quickly, but it was clear he was going to reach me first.

Just as he was nearly upon me, another form fell upon him from above, slamming him to the ground, stealing the knife, and putting it up against his throat in one fell movement. His brightly colored rainbow hair settled upon his back, as did his sky blue wings. A loose feather drifted in front of me, and I guessed he must have nose-dived straight down from the building above. He looked to be about my age, but he was obviously skilled in combat already.

"One more move, buddy, and you're dead." He hissed at his new captive.

"Now now, Dash." The first newcomer said, whacking one of the aggressors so hard he flew into the brick wall behind him. "That is uncalled for. You're more skilled than he is, and you've got him helpless. There's no need to make death threats at him- that's bullying, and I won't be having_ that_. Just rough him up a bit and send him on his way." As he finished, he slammed the end of the rod into the nose of the one trying to get behind him, sending him reeling to the ground with blood gushing down his face.

Sighing, the boy called Dash jumped off the aggressor, but not without giving him a solid hit in the head with the hilt of the knife. He grunted with pain, grabbed his weapon, and ran. The other two seemed to have done the same. The three of us turned to face the hooded figure, who was surveying the situation still.

"You just can't hire a bunch of muscle-heads and expect them to get the job done right anymore, can you?" He said, throwing up his arms quizzically. "One measly kidnapping is all I ask."

"Well, what about you then?" The taller figure asked, brandishing his makeshift weapon in practiced arcs. "You gonna try it yourself?"

"Heh. I might be tempted to on a normal day, but this is quite a turn of events, really. I think I'll pass for now. Don't go too far, though." He ended on a slightly musical tone, gave a little salute, and jumped clean into the air, tawny wings erupting from his back. In a moment he was gone.

I finally collapsed to the ground, exhausted with fear, heart racing with adrenaline. Dash just stood, looking around awkwardly, not sure what to do next. The other man walked over and crouched in front of me, putting him at about eye level with me. I met his concerned blue eyes for a moment.

"You okay? I mean- did they hurt you or anything?" He asked honestly.

I just shook my head no, then thought for a moment, then tried nodding, and just ended up squeaking out "I'm okay".

"Anyway, let's get you home, huh? I don't know who else is on the streets right now. 'Cmon, Dash, let's get moving. You good to walk?"

I nodded again, and he helped me to my feet. He held my hand lightly as we left the back road, Dash trailing behind silently. He wasn't angry or upset about anything- I would have felt it if he was- just unsure.

**Rainbow Dash**

I kicked at a stone on the ground as we travelled the cobble roads again, but in reverse. I had done everything perfectly- dive bombed that third guy and disabled him in an instant. But this had been one of my first real fights, and while I didn't show it, my nerves were still wracked. I understood my brother's point of view- these guys were just hired help, and didn't deserve to die. They had accepted money to attack and kidnap a little girl, though, and me scaring him like that was punishment enough, and well deserved.

She really was quite pretty, I had to admit. Long, soft pink hair and snow white wings bounced behind her as she stepped softly beside Ultraviolet. _What happens now? _I wondered. _I guess we bring her back home, to whoever takes care of her, and then... reward? Nah. It was nothing. Vi would probably decline anyway. Dinner, at the very least, though- I'm hungry again._

"So, what's your name?" He asked. "I'm Ultraviolet. And my little bro back there is Rainbow Dash." She mumbled something that I couldn't catch from behind them. "Fluttershy? Nice. Suits you well." He said, apparently having heard it the first time. I'm glad he had, at least- I doubted if I would have been able to make it out very clearly if I was right next to her. "So, where do you live?"

"Um... Down that way." We followed where she pointed, and ended up in another part of the city, one we hadn't been to yet. It looked to be a smaller square- not the main one, which we had already passed, but a center for a smaller part of town. A slightly larger than life-sized statue stood in the center, depicting a powerful female knight, with shoulder length hair, large and alert eyes, and a long katana flourished in her left hand. Curiously, her right arm was in some form of sling, but she didn't look too off-put about it.

But then again, it _was _a statue.

I stood to Ultraviolet's other side, who was also considering the effigy. "General Madeline, famed Heroine of Dawn." He read off of the plaque affixed to its feet. It was written in the ancient language, but Vi had studied for some time, and was able to decipher it easily enough. "If I recall, she was the mightiest of warriors in the whole kingdom of Dawn, if not all of Equestria. Her signature skill, Soul Release, still has a huge influence in fighting today, and many have attempted to emulate it themselves, though I've not heard of anyone ever successfully doing it.

"Y'know... This has got to be one of the only statues from back then still standing now." He commented. "She was a huge part in the war five hundred years ago, and most of the relics from that time are long gone, including the capital cities of Dusk and Dawn themselves. But this statue is well cared for."

"So this city was part of Dawn, then?" I asked, curious to learn a bit of history. I knew that our hometown had been settled shortly after the war ended, and was well within the territory of what was once Dawn. The original castle and city weren't even far from it- they were closer to our town than Manehattan was.

"Yup. It went by a different name back then, though. Can't say I know what it was, unfortunately. This was still a major city at the time, and the citizens decided to suck it up and rebuild bigger and better, rather than accept Eclipse's handouts and secede completely, and thereby loose their identity like so many others."

"Fluttershy?" Another voice interrupted. We all turned to face her- a woman looking to be about Vi's age, with very fair skin, golden blonde hair and wings, and an un-ceremonial lance strapped across her back. "Fluttershy! Oh, thank the Goddess I found you! What happened?"

Fluttershy disengaged from Ultraviolet and ran over to her, getting swept up in her arms in the process. Vi stood from where he was crouched, turing to face her properly. "I guess you know her, then?"

She looked at him, sizing him up before responding. "Yeah, I'm her sister, Creiddylad. Now again- What happened?"

**Chapter Twenty Five**

**Manehattan; Square**

**Rainbow Dash**

"In short, my bro and I beat the everliving daylights out of a couple of hired idiots who were apparently trying to kidnap her. Business as usual." Ultraviolet answered immediately.

Creiddylad, who had walked over to us, Fluttershy still in her arms, now wore a look of mixed alarm and confusion. "What? Who... Why were they trying to kidnap her? And... and who hired them, if it was just someone moving through them?"

"Don't know, and... Don't know. The employer was there, but he was wearing a heavy black cloak, and I couldn't get a good look at him. He had speckled wings, that's about the only detail I could find. The guys he hired were apparently just some guys from around town, and didn't last too long before running for it."

"And the employer?" She probed. "Where'd he get to?"

"Can't say." Vi said, sighing. "He took off as soon as the fight was over, and I decided to escort Fluttershy home rather than chase after him. He could have left the city by now, but... Honestly, I kind of doubt that. I really couldn't tell much about him, but I'll bet he's not going to give up that easily. With your permission, I'd like to keep a lookout for him around town, in case he tries something else."

"Oh, by all means." She said, assured by a slightly tearful Fluttershy that what he was saying was true. "And... Well, is there anything I can do to thank you? I mean, I can fight okay myself, but I doubt I could have taken on three armed guys while protecting someone at the same time."

Vi was already shaking his head, hands in his pockets. "It was nothing, ma'am. Besides, the job isn't even over yet. I've only delayed him, and I'm going to get to the bottom of this. But I don't need a reward anyway; I couldn't just let them have their way, they were clearly evil."

Creiddylad chuckled slightly. "Well, I understand that, but I still should do something for you... Are you new to town?"

"Yeah, but we're not staying long. Just came to town to find someone else, planned to be gone in a few days."

"Do you have a place to stay yet?... Well, we've got some space. Why don't you stay with us?"

"Really? You're sure you don't mind? Well, if you insist. Like I said, we shouldn't be long."

And just like that, the two of us were on our way to Creiddylad's apartment, where just she and Fluttershy lived. It was the same basic situation my brother and I were in- Both parents had passed away at some point along the line, and the younger sibling had been more or less raised by the elder- so I understood Fluttershy's situation well enough. I was surprised though- I wasn't aware anyone else was in that same boat as me.

We reached the building- a tall, but otherwise unremarkable gray affair. It wasn't too far on the fancy side, but was still far from disrepair. We entered and glided up the winding stairway to the third floor, and immediately turned into the room on the right. I noticed that there was only one room on either side of the building on each floor, so I guessed that they must be fairly large for apartments.

I entered first, and wasn't disappointed. A short hall led down a ways, then led off to the left. To the right was a kitchen and living area, with a small table situated in between the two. I could guess that the hallway to the left led to the bedrooms. I stepped to the side as the others filed in.

"So, who wants dinner?" Creiddylad asked, and I silently thanked her. My stomach was less subtle about it.

**Fluttershy**

Both our guardian-siblings worked on dinner that night, and as such there was a lot more food than what I usually saw at home; even with twice as many people, there was more than necessary judging by how much Creiddylad and I usually ate. The boys were more than willing to pick up the slack, however, and none of the food ended up going to waste.

After supper, Rainbow Dash and I decided to play an old battle tactics-based board game that had been in the family for longer than anyone knew or cared to remember. It was played on actual wooden boards, and had small ivory pieces to it. Over the years, we had lost just enough pieces to render one side at a slight disadvantage, even with the extras. I took the crippled side, partly just to be nice, but also because I knew my way around the game already, and had something of an advantage. A set of ivory dice was also present: most were unusual in shape, with various numbers of sides. These were for the actual combat aspect- one roll from each player would determine whether or not an attack would hit, and another would tell how badly it damaged the enemy. A counter attack roll was also in play.

The first match we played, we decided to set up two identical fortresses on either side of an empty field, just to keep things simple. I started by moving the pieces representing the heavier fighters- the axeman and two heavily armored knights- to the front gate, and set some less powerful melee fighters- spearmen and swordsmen- to guard the smaller side doors. With the entrances all sealed up, I positioned the remaining swordsman behind the main barricade, ready to switch out with someone else if necessary, with a healer just behind to patch them up. On the ramparts atop the fortress, archers and mages were standing near the edge, ready to fire upon the approaching forces, with the single winged unit left on my side standing behind them. I planned to have this one swoop down on the enemy, hit a unit fast and hard, and pull back to his perch.

Rainbow Dash saw that I was planting my feet firmly in my base, so he rallied his units together to attack. He sent every last unit at his disposal at me, but employed similar tactics in protecting them- the heavies headed up the group, with the lighter melee fighters on the sides, and mages, archers, and healer all protected by the wall of weapons. This force marched as one cohesive unit, slowly making their way towards me. Curiously, he had his two fliers branch off away from this group, one each on either edge of the map. It seemed he planned to try and flank me with them, but as it stood I couldn't do much about them without weakening my defending force.

His main force hit my shield wall fast and hard, and it nearly crumpled under the impact. My healer set fast to work, however, and it stood firm against the attackers. I began to pick out a different strategy among his troops, one that wasn't as obvious. As soon as the heavy units had crashed into the wall, they had pulled back to the rear, then the sides had taken up position and were peppering the guard wall with quicker, lighter strokes, dodging away from more hits as well. The heavy units replaced them on the sides, and the long-distance fighters began taking potshots at my own atop the fort, with limited success. Fire and arrow rained down from the ramparts in the opposite direction, and one by one his units began to fall.

Finally, though, he managed to break through the wall of heavy troops, and his remaining fighters poured in. To make matters worse, his fliers banked in at the same time, tying up my long range units atop the fort, leaving the remaining melee fighters below to fend for themselves. They managed to defeat both my archers before my mages and fliers were able to finish them, and by that time, his last heavy fighter and swordsman were on their way up.

Working carefully, trying to find a way to win with my limited resources, I sent the lone flier around the other side, to try and corner them. The two mages I positioned on either side, and they began firing upon the axeman as soon as he came into sight. The swordsman was immediately engaged with the flier, and both began taking heavy damage. It was close, but in the end, one mage still stood atop the ramparts, the only surviving soldier on either side.

Dash immediately challenged me to a rematch, and we decided to play for two out of three wins. The next match was played on a map made to resemble a port town being invaded by pirates, which his raiders managed to win, and a sea battle between two ships, which I again was just able to win. By that time, night had fallen, and the two of us had to go to sleep. Dash was given the guest room, while his brother elected to sleep on the couch for the night.

About half an hour after being tucked in, and sleep eluding me, I decided to try and sneak across the hallway and see if Dash was asleep yet. I opened my door quietly, and luckily it seemed both Ultraviolet and Creiddylad were caught up in a hushed conversation, and didn't notice me. I made it into the guest room without a problem.

**Rainbow Dash**

I sat on the carpeted floor, looking up at the sky idly. _View sure is crummy out here, isn't it? I can't see anything up there. All these lousy witch lights all over the place- I mean, why are they even still on? Everyone's usually asleep by now back home... Can't imagine Applejack is liking them much, either. I know she always prefers it darker at night._

I heard a slight noise behind me, and turned to see that Fluttershy had entered the room. The door closed quietly behind her, and I invited her to come sit next to me.

"So, what are you doing awake?" She asked in a whisper, easing herself to the floor to my right. She now wore a plain white night gown, while I had just slipped on an old shirt of my brother's to sleep in.

"Couldn't sleep. Just trying to watch the stars, but... it's kind of hard to see them, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?" She asked. I realized she probably hadn't been far from the city before, and had nothing to compare this sky to.

"Oh, man, you don't even know- back home, where there's no bright lights out, there's just _so many _stars out. The ones you can see here are just the really bright ones- there's three times as many out there, just behind the lamplight."

She listened to everything I had to say- but kept in a whisper- with growing awe. "Do you mind if I watch with you?" She asked after I had finished.

"Sure, I don't mind." We moved over to the bed I hadn't yet touched, pulled off a couple of pillows, and lay down before the wide window, offering us as good a view of the night sky as we were going to get.

It wasn't too bad though.

**Chapter Twenty Six**

**Year 498; House of the Hylian**

**Rainbow Dash**

"At some point we fell asleep like that." I stated simply. "Probably just after the point where we started singing to each other. Fun times. Ultraviolet would later inform me that a cuter picture than the two of us passed out on the floor, all curled up like that, was never seen. Come to think of it... Was that how you figured out it was me? When I sang at the castle?"

"Um... Yeah, I think that was part of it..." Fluttershy answered, a little flustered at the detail with which I had described that last scene. "I think it was more of when I first saw you fight... You looked so much like your brother just then."

"Wait, you saw his brother fight? With a proper weapon, I mean." Twilight inquired. She had been listening intently to the story so far, though I suppose everyone was to some degree. I picked out her and Scootaloo in particular.

"I was getting to that, just hold on." I had begun to enjoy telling the story so far, becoming more animated in my gestures. Fluttershy had seemingly forgotten she was addressing multiple people on more than one occasion, and had started talking more excitedly, before coming back to the present and lapsing into silence, letting me take over. Applejack had been silent for a time now, and at the back of my mind I hoped she wasn't taking away the wrong meaning from my words. I had been pretty friendly with Fluttershy in that short time- but even now, realizing I had reunited with her, that was about the extent of things between us. It never occurred to me, however, to wonder whether or not Fluttershy felt the same way.

Applejack now broke her silence, picking up the story right where it left off. I smiled slightly, reassured that she knew my intentions well enough, and wasn't offended. _Whoever said having someone who knows you better than you do yourself is annoying, was lying. _I thought.

"The funny thing about it, was that it turned out Fluttershy's place was actually two floors under mine, in the same building! I was almost right above those two, looking up at the sky myself. If we had all just peeked out the window for a second, we could have saved ourselves a heap of trouble later on."

**Year 490**

**Manehattan; Apartment Building, Floor Six**

**Applejack**

The bright light of the morning sun filled the small room, stirring me from my restless sleep. My eyes cracked open, and a sudden strange feeling filled my mind. It felt like something was about to happen, something big. I couldn't guess at all what it was, or even if it wasn't just a dream wearing off, but the sunshine was so bright this morning, it didn't seem like it mattered. Whatever happened, it was a nice morning.

I pulled myself out of bed and, shaking away the last of my sadness from last night, decided I'd moped around long enough. I would at least try to adjust to my new city life, and move on from my old one. I would stay in contact with Rainbow Dash as best I could, but do my best not to get hung-up about it. The letter I had written two nights ago was on it's way by now, so I decided to get dressed and see about wandering around town some, to get my bearings better. I managed to convince my uncle to take me around town after breakfast, and for a fleeting moment, I was able to forget what I had been upset about in the warm sunlight.

But only for a brief moment.

**Rainbow Dash**

Fluttershy and I stumbled out the guest room, rubbing our eyes blearily. The sun had already risen in the sky, and we awoke warmed by it. It was a strange thing, here- even with the short distance between the two settlements, Manehattan was noticeably warmer than what my brother and I were used to.

Ultraviolet was still asleep on the couch when we came into the living room, so we decided to kill some more time with another round of the tactics game while we waited. I was really surprised I had never encountered this game before- it seemed like something my brother would have been all over. I was also somewhat surprised at how good Fluttershy was at it- sure, she'd had more time to practice, but it seemed strange that someone as timid as her was so brilliant at battle tactics.

About an hour passed before Ultraviolet and Creiddylad woke up, and a light breakfast was prepared. Half way through eating, Ultraviolet began speaking. "So, I figure we could do some more exploring around town today, check out all the major areas of interest. We're bound to find one of the two people we're looking for now. Plus we may as well see the sights while we're in town, right? I mean, when's the next time we're going to be here?"

_I really don't remember a lot of what we did that day, to be honest. The four of us wandered around town all day, without ever running into Applejack or the mysterious hooded figure. I would later learn how frustratingly close I was to running into her- she was making her way around aimlessly the same as me, but always at a different part of town. The day passed quickly, I remember that much- and almost before I knew it the sun was getting ready to set, with no progress made to speak of._

"It's getting late..." Creiddylad said, looking up at the sky. "We'd better head back home soon, start dinner."

I looked to the ground despondently. It was beginning to look like I simply wouldn't be able to find AJ again. I could feel a lump forming in my throat when Vi said: "Go ahead and take Fluttershy back home for now, I'm gonna take my bro for one more look around this area. We'll be back soon."

She looked to him, almost curiously, then nodded. She took Fluttershy's hand as they flew back home, their white and golden wings shining brilliantly in the waning light. I looked up to my brother, infinitely thankful for him giving it one last chance.

"Well, come on, then. We won't be able to pick anyone out from above for much longer. We're quite literally burning daylight. Let's go!" We shot into the air in perfect sync, and began gliding over the rooftops of the general area where he thought Applejack would be staying- and therefore returning to with any luck. We must have appeared no more than large birds from below, skimming gracefully over the cityscape.

Vi banked suddenly, coming to rest on the rooftop of a four-or-five story building, and I followed shortly. I realized shortly that it was right across the street from the apartment, though my brother didn't seem to make the same connection. He peered over the edge, trying to see something on the street below. "I thought I saw something down there. C'mere, take a look."

I walked over to him, turning my back on the other building, and stood next to him. I began to look where he was pointing, but just as I did, something else interrupted me.

"Are you proud of what you've accomplished, O brave and valiant warriors?" An all-too familiar voice queried from behind us. We spun around, Vi's hand moving to the hilt behind his head. Before us stood the same black-cloaked figure from yesterday, arms folded, head cocked slightly. I still couldn't make out his face, but I could just _feel _a smug grin behind that hood.

"Saved the life on one little girl, done strictly for a sense of honor, and only desiring to find that which you set out for. It must seem so heroic to your eyes. How small the world must seem to you..." I noticed that there was a strange accent to his words: his 'O's were occasionally pronounced as two, and in the case of a normal 'ou' or 'oo', the sounds were elongated just enough to be noticeable.

"Save us the guilt trip, bud." Vi spat back at him. "I really don't have the patience for it. Why'd you try to kidnap her? What is your purpose here?"

"I have no desire nor obligation to tell you, sell-sword. However, I'm afraid that your previous actions can't go ignored entirely. It's not usually appreciated when someone interferes with the actions and movements of The Order, as we serve the Goddess directly. However, as all you did was delay me, I can give you a slight break. I'll give you this option now, once. Allow me to fulfill my purpose and bring the young girl to the The Order, and you'll be both spared and overlooked for the time being. Fail to do so, and I'm afraid I'm obliged to eliminate you myself."

"That right?" Vi said, employing his long-standing skill of answering long rants with a two-word answer. He drew his sword dramatically, it's silver-white steel blade, slightly curved at its tip, glinted in the orange light of the sunset. "Can't say I've ever heard of this 'Order', nor am I familiar with what Goddess you speak of. So I suppose I'm obliged to say: You and what army?"

The figure seemed to find this very entertaining. He gave a haunting laugh, which almost sounded genuine. He then threw out his arms dramatically, several shadowy, human-like forms leaping out of the ground below him. They began massing on the rooftop, leaving room only between us and him. "Is this one acceptable?" He said with a chuckle.

Vi shook his head. "Impressive, sure. But what do you really expect to happen here? Me to just let you have your way and take some girl away from her home, for unclear and unknown purposes?" He threw his left arm forward, creating a gust of wind that blew several of the unarmed shadows clean off the building. "You obviously have a limited grasp of reality, friend."

He sighed. "I'm _almost_ sorry you feel that way." He leapt into the air, backpedaling with his wings to come to rest on the apartment roof. He gave a short hand signal, and the army of shades advanced, strange claws affixed to their hands raised.

Ultraviolet looked to me, as of yet unarmed, and barked an order. "Get up above me, kid. Stay out of this battle- I can handle these pawns. But- here." He handed me a katana, one he always carried in the off chance that his broadsword were to be blown out of his hand- which was more often than one might expect. He often trained with the katana as well. "If any of them come at you, use that to defend yourself. But stay away from them otherwise."

I was about to argue, but he shut me up quickly by slicing several shadows in half at once. He grabbed my shirt collar in his left hand, and put all his strength into throwing me upwards. I stabilized myself quickly, hovering in the air and watching as he tore into the enemy with blade and wind. Normally they wouldn't have stood a chance against him, as he was inarguably the best swordsman I had ever seen. But there were just so many of them, and as I watched, I could see more rising from the ground constantly, with no end in sight. Clearly the plan was just to bury him in troops.

I looked to the other building, where the cloaked man still stood, regarding the situation with impatience. I considered going after him and having him call off his troops, but my attention was brought back to the battle at hand as several more bodies flew off the building, evaporating as they died. Vi swore loudly, shaking his hand. _Oh no... He's burned through all of his magic energy already?_ He continued to fight with just his sword, but I could see that it was quickly becoming a one-sided battle. Without any way to quickly dispatch a large group of enemies, they were spawning faster than he could kill them.

He plowed through to the center, but as he began tearing into a group, another was right behind him, claws raised, seconds away from piling him. Abandoning all thought, all notion of obeying his order to stay out, all but the next move, I flew up higher into the air, brandished the katana over my head, and shot like an arrow down towards the battle. The tip of the blade sliced through the air before me, wind whistling past with lightning-fast speed, and just as the nearest target was looming before me, time seemed to stand still. Everything slowed, and it almost felt like my sword had encountered some sort of resistance.

Then my ears popped, and all hell broke loose.

**Chapter Twenty Seven**

**Manehattan; Apartment Building Floor Six**

I stared out the window in wonder and panic, watching the brutal battle unfolding on the rooftop across from me. The shadows never stopped, coming to life only to be cut down by the mighty broadsword brandished by the midnight-winged warrior fighting them single-handedly. _Is that... Is that Ultraviolet?_ I made the connection between this fighter and my second older brother quickly, and soon another thought slammed into my mind. _Is Rainbow Dash with him?_

And there was my answer, bolting through the sky towards him, katana blazing with evening light, his unkempt and unmistakable hair flowing behind him. My heart raced as I watched him fall, sword on a collision course with an enemy directly behind his brother. But when the blade connected, I had to shake my head to understand what had happened.

A shockwave of pure energy, running through the whole spectrum of light, erupted from where the sword met shadow. Every single other enemy went flying, all evaporating as they collided with ground or building. More were on the way, of course, but he hauled the weapon forward with inhuman speed, leaving trails of rainbow-dyed light in his wake. Even Vi just stood in awe, watching his little brother obliterate the faceless enemy before they had a chance to fight back.

Snapping back to reality, I dashed out of my room, making for the front door. I planned to make my way to the roof of this building, and grab their attention from there. Realizing I might end up fighting as well, I ran back to the room and grabbed the small hatchet I had snuck in with my belongings. I ran out the door, disregarding my aunt and uncle's attempts to stop me.

I scrambled up the steps as fast as I could, but something made me stop short at the door leading to the roof. Something in my gut was telling me this was a bad idea, and I had never gone wrong obeying these premonitions before. But my mind was still in lockdown, and my heart told me I needed to get to Dash by any means necessary. Nevertheless, I opened the door slowly and quietly.

Standing on the edge of the roof was a figure draped completely in black, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he considered the battle unfolding. He hadn't noticed my approach, and still didn't as I inched closer. I managed to make out some of what he was saying, as he mumbled quietly to himself: "Interesting... A child with that kind of power, brought out in time of crisis... Heh. I think I'm going to have to change targets. This one's much more valuable to The Order than the Heron child."

_He must be talking about Rainbow Dash!_ I concluded. I gripped the hatchet tighter, and, abandoning reason, silently ran towards him, jumping into the air and slicing down powerfully at his back. He screamed shortly in surprise and pain, rolling to the side and trying to clutch his back. Turning his gaze on me, he glided over to me on a pair of tawny wings, and swung the back of his gloved hand forward. It hit me square in the face, and I went flying across the roof, coming to rest near the other edge.

"Ya-hoo'll pay for that!" He yelled, a more thick accent breaking through in his rage. A golden spear, short handled and wide, flourishingly tipped, jumped to his hand, and his wings flared out menacingly behind him. My knuckles began to turn white with how tightly I held the tiny axe, as he flew towards me. I braced for impact- to roll out of the way at the last second and rend into his cloak with the small, sharpened blade. But as he was about to reach me, a golden form spun between us horizontally, deflecting his strike off course.

She came to rest facing away from the edge, left hand tipping her wide brimmed red fedora to the stranger. A standard issue steel lance was in her other hand, and her golden wings and hair flowed behind her, almost blinding in the twilight surrounding them. "So, I take it you're the one who's responsible for yesterday's incident?" She said between gritted teeth. "The one who got it in his head to try and kidnap my little sister?"

The man threw his arms up in dismay. "For the Goddess's sake, I can't even kill the meddler without someone else meddling in this town!"

"Drop it." She said curtly, brandishing the lance. "I don't feel like listening to you rant on about the faults of humanity- I'd rather make this quick. Take off now, and stay out of this city, and I won't have to kill you."

"You seem to be confused, girl." He spat back at her. "I'm the one with the infinite army of shadows, I'm calling the shots! Now back the hell off and leave me to my business, or incur the wrath of the Goddess herself!" He cast his spear to the sky, reflecting the waning rays of light across the rooftop.

"You claim to serve the Goddess?" The woman carried on, advancing slowly. "The very same that family stories say my ancestor met in person, and was blessed by before his final battle? This is the Goddess you claim to turn against me?" The man froze, her words taking him by surprise. Picking up the pace, she raised her lance to the sky as well, and shouted to the heavens: "Cards of Fate, guide my Hand! Chaos Suite!" A dull red energy began pulsing with light at the end of her weapon, and with a flick of her hand, a small object flew towards the black-cloaked man.

He jumped back, dodging away from the projectile, but it landed harmlessly on the ground. I stared from behind the woman, confused. It appeared that what she threw was nothing more than a single ivory die, nothing you wouldn't find with a normal board game. But a small light now shone from it, projecting a square of four dots- what the die had landed on. The energy on the end of her weapon flashed to a bright blue, and she kicked into the air, ready to charge at the now on-edge enemy.

"Hey, Kid." She addressed me. "You wanna get out of here? This is going to get ugly real fast."

"Not happenin'." I said simply, facing him with weapon held at the ready. "I'm fightin' for my friend, and this guy was gettin' ready to take him just like you said about your sis. I'm not letting him get away."

"Fair enough, but do you know how to use that thing? Can you actually fight him?" I answered by tossing the axe into the air, catching it backhanded, and jumping into a battle stance. "Works for me. Just don't get hurt, alright?"

I nodded, hoping I was doing a good job of hiding my apprehension. "Name's Applejack, by the way." I said, managing to keep my voice level.

"Creiddylad. Now brace yourself!" She spun her weapon before her as the man charged forward on the wind, hacking and slashing away with lightning speed. Creiddylad's weapon was obviously much more powerful with her spell in place, but she just didn't have the opportunity to hit him- it was all she could do to make sure he didn't hit first. I ran forward and joined in, standing close to her to let her deflect his attacks at me, while I tried to find a chink in his guard. I swung down on him hard, deflecting the spear from its complicated but specific path, giving Creiddylad an opening to hit him once. He jumped back, jolted slightly by the energy of her attack.

The blue energy began to wane, becoming smaller as the remaining power began to condense. Running towards him, Creiddylad swept up the die again, casting it behind her. This time, it landed on three, and a green light formed in place of the blue. I guessed that the number the die landed on determined how powerful the energy on her lance was- and the higher the number, the stronger the attack. I couldn't guess how it worked that way, though. I'd seen a few techniques that powered up weapons with energy before, but never one that was based entirely on chance.

She didn't slow as she approached the enemy, and I rushed up to assist her again. He was working faster now, however, and began gaining ground as we were forced back away from his blade. Creiddylad was now on the defense, unable to keep up with him, and her energy wasn't enough to counteract his speed. Soon the two of us were approaching the edge, and neither could break away from him this time. I had to work furiously to block several hits he aimed at me, and once the blazing golden spear had managed to slice my arm, leaving a shallow but bloody gash on my left shoulder and nearly cutting the arm off the shirt I wore.

My foot reached back for somewhere to step, but met only air. _Oh man, we're already to the edge! _I managed to place my foot back on the roof, but I barely had any room to move. Even worse, the enemy saw my stumble, and began diverting his attention to me. Grimacing, I blocked another hit from his spear, but the impact was enough to knock me off my feet just slightly- and it was just enough to send me falling over the edge.

I screamed, trying desperately not to look down. I was already pretty scared of heights, and it didn't help that I was falling six stories to the hard stone ground below- surely enough to kill me. Time was either dragging on painfully, or my mind was working ten times as fast as usual (or both), because I had only fallen a single floor by the time these thoughts had run through my head. I saw just below me an open window, though it was too far for me to reach. I closed my eyes, ready for the end, ready to finish the fall and be done with it...

Something slammed into me, hard, and we flew straight through the open window. I collided with the ground hard: winded, but mercifully alive. The thing that had run into me suddenly lifted, standing up and getting off of me. I opened my eyes and rolled over to see, and my breath caught immediately.

Standing over me, facing towards the window, outlined brilliantly in the remaining light, katana still trailing it's rainbow light, stood Rainbow Dash.

**Chapter Twenty Eight**

**Manehattan; Apartment Building Floor Four**

**Rainbow Dash**

I skidded to a halt, facing the window of Fluttershy's guest room once again. I did it. I found her. I saved her. Applejack was safe, and I would be able to bring her home soon.

But first, I had to finish off that idiot cloak guy who had threatened my old friend, my new friend, and my brother. He had a lot to answer for, and I was too pumped now to let him get away. Spinning the katana before me and setting it to rest over my shoulder, once again surprising myself with the speed it was putting out, I ran forward and dove headfirst out the window. I spread my wings quickly and began hovering, looking up to see where he was.

He and Creiddylad shot past me, grappling viciously as they plummeted to the ground. I followed at once, and landed next to Fluttershy's sister as she caught herself and landed, facing off against the enemy, who had landed across the street. I swung my sword in what would have been fairly unimpressive arcs normally, but now were lightning fast and trailing rainbow light as it passed.

I had to be honest with myself- I had no idea what had just happened any more than anyone else. As soon as my sword connected with that first shadow, I was suddenly moving faster than I thought possible, and my strikes were instant-kill shots to the weak enemies. Then I saw the fight on the other rooftop, and Vi told me that he could handle what was left of them (their spawning had slowed down to a trickle, probably because their summoner was now preoccupied) and told me to go help them. I made it just in time to catch Applejack as she fell, and we flew through the window of Fluttershy's place, which was luckily wide open.

Now there was nothing stopping me from tearing into him for what he had done, or tried to do. I charged him without a word, and all the speed he had at his disposal would do him no good. I batted away his weapon effortlessly, and delivered strike after strike to him, tearing his cloak to pieces. He began to dodge away, but Creiddylad was on him too, covering his rear and blocking his escape. I continued to haul the weapon forward, often clanging against his golden spear, but more often hitting him or missing entirely.

**Fluttershy**

I raced across the hall just in time to see Rainbow Dash fly out the window, sword blazing with multicolored light. Creiddylad had told me to wait in my room, and I was fully aware of how dangerous things had become. The man who had led the thugs yesterday was back, and she was fighting him- that much was clear. The brothers were seemingly engaged as well. I had succumbed to my curiosity when I heard something crash in the other room, though.

Now only another girl was in the room, one with a small axe in hand and messy, sandy blonde hair tied in a ponytail behind her. She turned and faced me now, taking stock of what had happened. "Are... are you Dash's friend?" I asked her.

"Yeah. Applejack." She responded, walking over to me. "Why, you know him?"

"We met..." I answered, knowing she had been his friend for much longer. "He came looking for you, and... he ended up saving me. My sister and I let him and his brother stay here last night."

"He... He came all the way here for me...?" She mumbled to herself. "He was worried about me, too..." She moved over to the window and looked around, eventually looking straight down. "I need to get down there, quick. I'm not about to leave him hanging now." She separated from the window and ran out of the room, knowing the way already. I followed as quickly as I could.

"I'm going too. I... I don't know what I'll be able to do, but..."

"You're his friend too. An' any friend of Dash's is a friend of mine. I don't mind you coming, but if you can't fight, try to stay out of the way. This guy ain't playing around."

I nodded gratefully, following her out the door and to the stairway.

**Rainbow Dash**

The figure jumped clear over our heads and landed on the street behind us, panting, swearing. His cloak was ruined, and his simple clothing underneath was now visible. Curiously, his whole body appeared to be covered in feathers, confirmed when he dropped his hood. He had long, dark eyebrows and a small set of spectacles, resting on a beak where his nose would have been. This, coupled with his stance and accent, made it clear he was some kind of owl-human. His dark eyes were alight with anger.

"Enough of this!" He exclaimed, casting his spear to his side. "I refuse to be bested by a bunch of children! The Order will destroy ya-hoo all!" He threw out his other hand, and what could only be described as a vortex of darkness formed at his fingertips, quickly growing to be large enough for him to walk through. He grinned as he stepped towards it...

And stopped short just as he approached, the portal disappearing quickly. Behind him stood Ultraviolet, feathers and jacket settling, broadsword buried in the owl-man's back. He coughed once, then fell to the ground as my brother's sword was removed from him. It was a sickening sight, to be sure, but with all my willpower, I couldn't help but feel a tiny sense of satisfaction to see this maniac brought down. Creiddylad walked over to him, and I followed slowly in her wake, my mystery attack having finally worn off.

He laughed weakly, unable to get himself off the ground. It was clear he was finished. "Well done, children. The great Lucius, one of the most powerful members of The Order, has been slain by a group of four unknown street fighters. You must be... so proud of yourselves."

"We don't need your pity, scum." Vi said venomously. "But now that you're done for anyway, perhaps you'd be willing to answer my original questions?"

"Heh. Such a naive thought. I owe you nothing. However... I am, at heart, somewhat honorable. Perhaps my actions aren't the best-guided to your eyes, but I've been bested. I've nothing left to lose, so perhaps I can do one last thing to make Number One's life interesting... Fine. Ask away, mighty hero."

My brother scowled slightly, fed up with this guy, but still in need of answers. "Who is this Order you speak of, and why did you want to capture Fluttershy?"

"Dash too." Creiddylad added. "He was getting ready to change targets when I got to him. And you said Number One- how many are there, then?"

"The Order... are quite simply the followers of the Goddess, she who created Equestria and watches over it yet... We make up the core of the organization, the most highly trained of the group... There are others, but The Order refers only to the core group of experts who serve her most closely. I am Number Five, if your were curious. But don't worry-" He said as Vi was about to interject. "I'm not... not the highest standing among them, personal opinion-wise. Someone'll take my place before too long. No-one's going to try and avenge my death. You lucked out and picked a fight with the unpopular guy of the group. Now if you'd gone for Two or Three, or pretty much any of the younger ones, you'd be right screwed."

"And the kids? Why'd you want them?" Creiddylad said, slightly rushed. She could see Lucius's time on this earth was running short.

"We've had a few gaps in membership lately... Number Four went AWOL some years ago, and we still haven't managed to tracked him down. He took the young Thirteen with him as well... We only left his number open for simplicity's sake, until we found another who would take it. I heard about the girl's situation- of how the late Heron Princess imparted her power to her in death, turning her into quite the useful individual. I planned on bringing her back, to take the place of Thirteen, and the rainbow kid struck me as a gifted enough fighter to make a good Fourteen."

"You say 'I'... this mission was of your own volition, then, not an order from your superior?" Ultraviolet asked.

"For the most part, Two, Three, Six and I can do whatever we want, so long as it's not harmful to The Order... Number One doesn't do much, just remains at base. Sometimes he has a group mission to give, or sometime's he'll organize training exercises, but no, he didn't know about this at all. I'm the only one who knew what was happening here... So no-one else will be after you or the children. All they see is a lack of me, and... I doubt that will be a problem for many."

I stood at the edge of the small group, listening to the conversation but never saying anything myself. Ultraviolet asked all the questions I had already, and I trusted him to do so anyway. I wasn't sure if Lucius was trying to garner sympathy with his sob story of having no friends, but he wasn't getting any from us. After he had finished answering another question, I handed Vi back the katana, and he sheathed it swiftly. I stepped back, but as I turned, I saw two other people on the other side of the street, and one began running towards me.

My heart skipped a beat. In the heat of battle, I had actually only barely registered that I had located Applejack, too caught up in the rage of battle to focus on anything but Lucius. Now that things had calmed down, however, I realized the full implications of that. I had finally found her again. I thought for a moment I would never see her again, but now I had the chance I wanted. I could bring her home and hang out with her like always.

I turned, just enough, and just in time to have the breath chased out of my lungs as she half-tackled, half bear hugged me. I staggered back, regaining my balance, and after a moment put my arms around her as well. I was likely blushing profusely by this point, as I doubted whether I had ever really hugged anyone back before, but it just felt to me like it was what I should do in the situation. We both just stood like that for a while, both half laughing, half crying. Vi would later tell me that this moment was a very close second for cutest thing he'd ever seen.

A ragged cough from back over near the others brought us back to reality, and we turned (still in each other's arms, mind you) to face the dying owl-man. Creiddylad still looked down upon him, but Vi had turned his back, finished dealing with him.

"One last thing." Fluttershy's sister prompted. "The Goddess... you say you serve her. Are you a group who believes in her and follows her guidelines, or-"

"No." He said, barely audible. "We're no religion, no cult. We follow her in a more literal sense. While only Discord may do so now, I can say that at one point, I gazed upon her face in person... Our Goddess walks this earth yet." With that, his head dropped to the cobble below him, lifeless. We all watched with curiosity as his body seemed to evaporate into black smoke, leaving nothing but his spear behind. Frowning, Creiddylad lifted the weapon, and planted it in the grass nearby.

Applejack sniffed next to me, and in a small voice said: "Vi?" He turned to her, a sympathetic smile on his face. "... I wanna go home."

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

**Year 498, EverFree Forest; House of the Hylian**

**Rainbow Dash**

By the time we had finished, Applejack and I were grinning ear to ear, both remembering vividly everything that had happened. "Vi took us both home when morning came. I think he stayed in contact with Creiddylad for a while after that with letters, but I never got a chance to see Fluttershy again, until the Lunar Festival."

"My sister still lives in Manehattan." Fluttershy explained quietly. "I moved here two years ago, to be closer to nature, and to just... see more of the world. A few nights after I got here, I found Angel in the woods near my house, all alone, barely alive. I couldn't stand doing nothing for the poor thing, and I brought him back home, nursed him back to health. By that time he was too attached to me to leave, and he didn't have anywhere to go... His whole family was lost that day in the woods, and the poor thing was the only one to survive. He's stayed by my side every day since then, and I couldn't ask for a better companion. Creiddylad used to visit a lot to make sure I was okay, but I haven't seen much of her lately... I just got a letter from her the other day, though, and she's doing fine."

I took a deep breath, knowing what had to come next. I had to finish my story. They deserved to know the truth. I couldn't help but wonder, at the back of my mind, how Twilight would take it. It didn't matter now, though. "Alright." I said finally. "Well... About a year later, after everything was said and done... I had just finished a combat lesson from Ultraviolet, and I was just kind of wandering around town..."

**Year 491, Town Square**

I took a bite out of my sandwich idly, not having anything worth rushing for to do. I had just finished another training session with Vi, and the cool fall air was refreshing after an hour of sweating. I still wore the wooden practice sword- modeled in shape and weight after his katana- across my back, and a black cloth jacket underneath the sheath. A single red leaf wafted past on a stray breeze as I ate.

_Maybe I'll see if Applejack wants to practice today. _I thought. _I think harvest has slowed down by now, so she should be free. _Finishing lunch, I stood up from the bench I had been sitting on, and set off lazily towards the Acres. As I walked through the street, I noticed someone in the official Eclipse-Soldier armor standing to the side, and that he had noticed me. I didn't think much of it- there were soldiers around here from time to time, and there was never much reason to be alarmed by this. He approached me slowly, and I stopped, standing my ground.

"So, you're the kid I've heard about." He said, and I could detect a certain fake-ness to his words. "The one called Rainbow Dash?" I nodded. "You know, a lot of people were pretty impressed with what you did back at Manehattan last year, but no-one could find you after that. People are calling it the 'Sonic Rainboom', for lack of anything else.

"The point is, people have taken notice of your battle ability, and I'll be honest- I think there's a place in the royal army for someone like you, once you've been fully trained."

Through all the praise he was sending, I could see his bluff clearly enough. A small warning signal flashed in my mind, but I allowed him to continue. "I'm glad I was able to find you here, though it was mostly luck that did it. Your training could be completed at Eclipse, and you could be one of the most powerful individuals in Equestria, if not the world."

"I'm already training, and I've got an excellent teacher." I said, trying to skirt around any specifics. "And why are you talking just to me, don't you usually talk to kid's parents too with stuff like this?"

"You seem like the kind of person who doesn't like decisions made for you. I figured you were capable of weighing your own opinions."

Screw that. He obviously hadn't met my brother. "Yeah, I'll think about it. But I'm going to talk to my brother about it, and see what he thinks. He's awesome enough to know what he's talking about. I'll probably just stick to the training I'm getting here, though."

I attempted to continue on my way, but he threw his arm forward quickly, catching me where I stood. His hand gripped my jacket, and I couldn't get free. "I never said anything about you choosing anything, kid." His voice had dropped it's already weak barrier, and now was hard and venomous. I suddenly had the feeling that something else was behind me. _More soldiers? Aw, man... I could maybe take this one, but if there's more, there's no way... _"Don't you want to serve Celestia as best you can? To put your skill to use and fight for the throne?"

I tried uselessly to break free. He leaned closer, still speaking, mostly to himself. "You're a bit old, but I'm sure the Queen has room enough for a third apprentice. Now why don't you just stay quiet, quit struggling, and-" He stopped suddenly, his grip on my jacket loosening (but not enough for me to break free, I noticed angrily). He let out a short noise of pain, and another voice spoke from behind him.

"You're doing great, pal." My brother said clear and loud. "Really playing the part of generic henchman. Kudos to your skill, sir. However, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to get the hell off my brother, or I'll have to snap your neck." I looked up, and I could just make out his unmistakable mane of hair whipping to the side in the wind, his hand gripped powerfully around the soldier's shoulder. He wasn't kidding- from where he stood, Vi could move his other hand and break his neck in half a second.

"What do you think you're doing, punk?" The soldier barked. Then an evil smile crossed his face. "And what do you think is going to happen here, if you don't let go of me? Kill me or not, the Queen will hear of this, and you'll be destroyed. You're doomed if you don't release me. Tell you what- I'll cut you a deal. Unhand me and let me take this kid to the Queen without any more problems, and I might fail to mention this."

He grimaced, and I could tell Vi had just tightened his grip. "Here's a counter proposal for you. Let him go, and I'll let you live. Sound good? How do you suppose anyone else will know if I kill you now? Your body wouldn't be that hard to hide. Then where would we be? I'm not giving up my brother to the Queen, not today."

The two of them remained silent, each daring the other to make the first move. I didn't dare try to break free again, for fear of getting caught in the crossfire. The tension in the air was palpable, and my head and heart pounded with fear. Then the soldier grimaced and moved his other hand, and I could hear a spell activating. A small light flashed from where my brother stood.

"You're screwed now, buddy." My captor spat. "That tracker spell ain't going anywhere. Every soldier for miles will be on your ass a minute or so from now." Any further jibes were cut short, along with his back. I stumbled to the ground as I was released, the body landing a foot away from me. I scrambled up just in time for Vi to throw his leather jacket over my head, effectively providing a better hood than the one on my jacket, but leaving me blinded in the process. I was then shoved firmly back behind him.

"Mac. Get him out of here, now. They only have a lock on me, so just get him somewhere safe."

"And you?" I heard Mac's voice ask. "You're not going to just lie down and let them kill you."

"'Course not. But this soldier was a clever one- this spell is going off of my own energy, not his. It's not going out until I drop anyway... Sooner or later, I'm screwed, and you know it. But it's likely this guy was working solo right now, to try and win favor, so no-one else will know Dash was here. Just get him to safety, I'll handle things here."

I was picked up roughly, but didn't try to resist much. "Don't get yourself killed." We began moving without another word, and I could just make out the sounds of combat starting as we rounded the next corner.

_Time crawled by at a painfully slow pace as Applejack and I huddled close together, in the cellar beneath the house at the Acres. We were both scared to death, uncertain of what was going to happen next. Mac, possibly for the first time in his life, had a hard time sitting still, and came close to running outside and to the fight himself- only to stop himself, reassuring himself that he needed to stay and guard me. It took someone who had been around him all their life to tell, but he was really nervous. He had every right to be, though- He and Vi had been friends for most of their lives, and had stuck together after school by forming a two-man mercenary group together, and were a deadly pair on the battlefield. _

_It didn't take me long to realize that Applejack had nothing to do with any of this, and didn't have to hide down here with me. She could have left at any time and got along with her business- but she didn't. She stayed by me the whole time, throughout the whole ordeal, doing anything she could to ease the burden on my shoulders. It wasn't until much later that I realized how grateful I truly was for her presence._

_Things began to calm down a bit after that afternoon- I still stayed at the house with the others, but I was able to move about the Acres freely now. There wasn't much pretense going on- I knew that I was here partly just to be kept safe, but I could tell the real reason I wasn't at my own home was because no-one else would be there. Something had happened to Ultraviolet. To try and take our minds off things, Applejack and I would go down to the old clubhouse as often as we could, and little Applebloom- only four years old at the time- tagged along once or twice. We killed time by 'fortifying' the hideaway with barriers of rocks, sticks- whatever we could find._

_About a week passed like this. I had no way of knowing what was going on outside the Acres, and I was somewhat apprehensive to find out. I wanted to find out what had happened to my brother, sure, but I was inwardly terrified of what I would find. I remember clearly the night before the climax- Applejack and I stayed all night at the clubhouse, and no-one stopped us this time. It was a particularly cold night, and we huddled close together underneath a pile of blankets in the corner. As with the calm before the storm, I slept for once free of nightmares, her presence next to me seeming to ward them away._

_In the morning, the world seemed still, the wind dead, the crunch of leaves the only sound to break the deafening silence. We snuck out of the clubhouse, the farm altogether, and followed Mac into town. Oh, what I wouldn't give to stop me from doing that._

"... For the crimes of high treason, multiple charges of murder, opposition of royal forces, and conspiring against the Queen, the prisoner stands sentenced to death."

The large crowd was silent, but I could feel emotion overwhelming- rage and sorrow chief among them. The only sound that reached their ears was the echoes of a single drummer- playing his simple, cursed melody. Everyone stood facing the troop of soldiers assembled at the fringe of the town square, backs to the wooden platform assembled the day before. Atop it stood three figures- two tall, grey suited warriors, ornamental spears to their sides, taciturn as things proceeded.

Between them, clad in her unmistakable gleaming white armor, standing enigmatically with blade drawn before her, stood Celestia.

As I watched in horror, unable to wrench my gaze away from what was happening, a fourth person was led up the wooden steps begrudgingly, guided by another royal soldier. His long hair was too tangled and messy to flow elegantly in the nonexistent breeze, and only the blindfold now tied tightly around his eyes was as black as his shirt once was. Obvious bruises and scars could be seen on his arms and face, but even now he walked upright, striding slowly but purposefully towards his fate. His arms were tied behind him, and wings tied to his back.

Mac's powerful grip stopped me and Applejack from running to him, but one look at his face showed that he was barely restraining himself. I almost started- neither of us had seen Mac get behind us, and we thought he hadn't seen us either. I was a bit preoccupied to care much, however.

Ultraviolet turned slowly to face the crowd, though he was blind to their silent expressions. He stared ahead calmly, showing no sings of fear or regret, only calm resignation to his fate.

Celestia moved forward slightly, her sword reflecting the weak rays of the sun. "Have you any last words?" She said clearly, addressing my brother.

He looked up slightly, seeming to think for a moment, then gave a long, broken laugh. His voice cracked slightly, as he recovered himself and began to speak. "You think this'll be it, Celestia? You think killing me is going to solve anything? Is it so much of a stretch to think that _maybe _killing me isn't going to make everyone see their place, but rather fan the flames of hatred against you?"

Then things got crazy (as though they weren't before). Celestia swung her weapon hard, clearly meaning to finish him, but with a powerful leap, he cleared the blade completely, coming to a rough landing on the stage. "You're finished, Celestia! The people have long been awakening to the truth of your tyranny, and with this last action, the whole world will be ready to see you dead! Whatever you used to be is gone, and we're sick of working under your iron grip! Your reign is coming to its end, you see, and it won't be long before you see it for yourself!"

Then her sword was behind her, began arcing over her head in slow motion, and...

**Year 498**

**EverFree Forest; House of the Hylian**

I finally choked, unable to continue. Tears rose to the surface unbidden, and I was forced to fall back to my seat. Applejack was next to me, arm around me sympathetically, and it was all I could do not to throw myself at her and just bawl my eyes out. I was still in public, and had still retained _some _of my dignity. I couldn't bring myself to finish, but I don't think it was necessary anyway. Their silence told me they all got the message.

**Chapter Thirty**

**EverFree Forest; House of the Hylian**

**Twilight**

_Oh my... _Twilight thought, surprise and guilt competing for attention in her mind. _So that's it... that's why he was so violent against Celestia. Oh man, I feel terrible now. Poor guy... I know Celestia does have to do executions from time to time, but... I never would have thought it would have been like that... _

She had a hard time keeping her thoughts in order- she of course believed everything Rainbow Dash had said, as he wouldn't still be composing himself if he was lying. He wasn't that good an actor. But she was raised her whole life by the queen, and she still found it difficult to see from his point of view completely.

"That night was when Mac made his vow, his promise to Vi." Applejack picked up solemnly. "He swore he would never lift a weapon again, unless it was to protect his loved ones, 'cause the two of them had a perfect sync fighting style set up, and to change it felt like he was betraying Vi's memory. He found the Demon Sword about a month later and redoubled his promise- that he would fight with all the rage and power at his disposal to make sure no-one else had to share his fate... I hate to say it, but he's never been the same since that day. He still loves and protects us with his life, but he's changed. I haven't seen a real smile cross his face in years..."

Fifteen or so minutes passed while everyone let the story, as well as a fresh helping of stew, soak in. Twilight was still struggling with her thoughts, and Phil moved over next to her and patted her shoulder sympathetically. "You okay?" He asked.

She shook her head to clear it. "Yeah, I'm alright. Just have a lot to think about." She gave him a weak smile and turned back the the bowl in her lap. _What would I have done in his situation, if I had lost Phil or Spike like that...? I know Dash can't have held up too well, but it's probably better than I would have. Of course... I think Phil would have fit AJ's role in that story better... _No one seemed to notice as she blushed ever so slightly at the thought.

Dash, having recovered, motioned that his story was finished. Xekroa now spoke. "Exactly what I was aiming for with this. By bringing these memories to bear today, you pave the way for everyone here to be tied into the next chapter of your stories. You may feel weakened at first, but you'll walk away stronger than ever, mark my words. Now... Who's next?"

Once again, no-one jumped to begin. No-one seemed exactly eager to walk down a painful road again like Dash had. Twilight knew that her 'group's' turn would be soon anyway; with Spike, Trixie, and Phil a part of the overall story, that only left Rarity and Pinkie besides them. She looked to each of her companions in turn, and each nodded back. Spike stood before anyone else.

"I suppose the four of us are up." He said, not entirely disappointedly. "I guess I should start, since my part begins before any of these kids can remember. Alright, let's see... Well, like any great storyteller, I think I'll start by flashing back to my navy days."

**Year 482**

**Unknown Waters; HMS Dragon's Fang**

**Spike**

I swung into the quarters and onto my hammock wearily, feeling soaked to the bone. It was positively dumping outside, and while it was fortunately not enough to be an actual threat to the ship, it still made managing it extremely uncomfortable. Luckily, night had fallen and most of my work for the night had been finished, so I was able to just lie in my bunk for a while.

In the center of the room was a medium-sized wooden table, affixed firmly to the floorboards so as to not go and move every time we hit a wave. At the table sat Fafnir- seven years my junior (though of course in Goldoan, that was about the equivalent of a month) and the only one on the ship close to my age. He wore a dark grey leather vest and white bandana identical to my own, though the similarities ended there. His green hair was cropped short, save for an uncut strand that hung at the front of his right shoulder, and mostly covered by his headwear; while my violet hair fell long past my shoulders in its single braid, leaving the bandana little more than an accessory.

He leaned far back on his barrel chair, balancing himself by kicking his legs up on the table. He shuffled a deck of cards idly, and spoke without turning away from them. "'ey, Spike. You finished for the night?"

"Yeah." I said, stretching out my arms. "I was just about to turn in."

"Think you could last for a quick game, then?" He turned to me, holding up the cards. "Only other person who'll play these days is Faslot, and I don't feel like having my butt handed to me again."

I agreed and took a seat across from him, collecting my hand of cards. Faslot, his older brother, was one of the senior officers on the ship of fifteen crew members, and had taught Fafnir most everything he knew: about combat, cards, and overall coolness. While most of the crew had adopted a sword or knives as a weapon (being on strict orders to keep transformation to a minimum on this mission), the two of them had gone to spears- Faslot had learned to use the heaviest one he could find, while Fafnir used a lighter, double-ended one as his main weapon.

He had also created a set of large throwing dart-like spears, with a leather sling affixed to his arm. The sling would recoil as soon as he threw the dart, easily doubling the distance they could be thrown. The darts were simple to make, so he only kept a quiver of ten with him at any time. I hadn't been as resourceful as him when choosing- Instead, I trained hard and became proficient with a pair of large, curved steel knives.

As we whittled the time away with the card game, my thoughts began to drift to home, and our reasons for being so far from it. In recent years, multiple people of unknown origin and power began to wash up on the shores of Crimea, Gallia, and a few at Goldoa. From those who survived the trip, a picture of another continent far across the sea began to be painted- a real curiosity, because according to legend, Tellius was the only continent to survive a great flood over a thousand years ago, and until that point there hadn't been any evidence otherwise.

However, these people- referring to themselves as Children of Earth (identical to an average Beorc in every way), Children of Fire (identical to a Beorc mage for the most part), and Children of Air (humans with more powerful wings than any Laguz, having singular control over wind-based magic, though lacking any transformative abilities)- told another story. Apparently the three races lived in harmony on the small continent, and there hadn't been any major conflict between any of the races specifically in their history.

I personally looked upon this with a bit of skepticism. I'd figured out long ago that most all humans, regardless of race or origin, would find a will and a way to fight each other. It was simply human nature to strive to be better than one's peers in one way or another, then prove it- and while I did admit that exceptions did exist, sometimes even in numbers, a whole country couldn't be made up entirely of them. Thinking this, I was forced to the conclusion that some other conflict had kept them distracted from warring over their differences. Perhaps a more territorial conflict, or a power struggle for the throne, which we learned early on was controlled by the Queen Celestia.

Our own King Kurthnaga had also become interested in this mysterious new land, as had the Gallian and Crimean thrones, and it had been agreed that a group of Goldoans would act as a diplomatic party to contact the Queen. It was a tough decision- with the Dragon Tribes having such a long lifespan, and such a crippled population after the Goddess War eight-hundred years prior, our people were still rather few. Even only taking away the fifteen necessary for the voyage left a noticeable gap in our standing forces- but it was also true that the only people to come from the new land were survivors of ships gone far off course and wrecked, and as far as we knew the sailing conditions were quite rough. For this, none were suited better for the job than the highly resilient and immovable Dragons.

The decision was made, and fifteen of us were selected (or volunteered, in a few of our cases) to make the long trek. We agreed early on to only transform if absolutely necessary, or if the Queen alone requested a demonstration. As such, we had all been allotted two solid months for training- some of us had to use some of the time to become accustomed to the ins-and-outs of the vessel we would be taking, but most devoted the whole time to finding alternate ways of fighting. As I stated, I had picked up knives, Fafnir and Faslot had gone for spears, and most of the others had learned swordsmanship, with the exception of one axeman.

Several other members of the crew had come down to the quarters, all in varying degrees of soaked-ness. Apparently the rain had let up slightly since earlier, but it was still clearly raining. I played one more hand, essentially finishing off Fafnir, and decided to call it a night. As could be expected, I had just gotten comfortable when Faslot chose to descend and call on me.

He walked over to my hammock and made a move to bump me out from below, but I had already dodge-roll-jumped out on the other side before he had a chance. Luckily for me, fast was something he was not.

"Need something?" I asked casually, as though nothing had happened.

He let a shadow of a smile cross his face, his way of acknowledging a good move. "Yeah. Captain needs to talk to you about something. Says it isn't urgent, but just to come up when you get a minute." I nodded and made my way to the exit. I had figured out the captain's way of doing things by now, too- he said to come whenever it was convenient, but I guessed he actually wanted to see me as soon as possible.

I emerged onto the deck, turning my head down slightly. A few lanterns were still lit around the ship- one up at the crows nest, where a bulky form was just visible under a tarp strung up above him- and two each at the doors to the crew's accommodations and captain's quarters. I wasted no time in getting to the captains quarters, taking a seat across from Captain Irath upon being prompted to do so.

"What's up?" I felt it safe to ask, seeing the easy expression behind his well-kept beard. The rest of his hair had also been cut short, and he still wore his white bandana as well (around half of us had lost or discarded the standard-issue bandana by now).

"Spike." He said, his voice low but reasonable. "My thanks for arriving so quickly. I just wanted to ask your opinion on a few things."

"Certainly." I responded in turn. It was always a game with him, figuring out what would be suitably proper, yet not overly fancy, to say. "Why my opinions in particular?"

"You're a bright young man, no other reason. I already got Faslot's say on these things, but I feel a younger outlook might be handy to have. So..." He folded his fingers as he posed his question. "By our estimate, we should be drawing near to this 'Equestria'- two or three days time should see us there. I have to ask- are you worried of what we'll find? Have you any thought as to what we may encounter when we arrive?"

I sighed ever so slightly, not impatiently, but thoughtfully. "I've given it some thought, yes. It's too early to make any conclusions, to be sure. From what we could gather from the castaways, it seems like we're dealing with a fairly mild-mannered people- but the word of mouth from ten or so people isn't really much to go on. I did do a bit of reasoning, however- since the three races of this place seem to not be at each other's throats, and there's only been one grand territory for several hundred years, it makes me wonder how they've managed to live in harmony for so long. Only thing I can think of is... they're being kept busy by something else to fight each other."

"An outside threat?" Irath asked, intrigued.

"Or an inside one." I offered.

"You doubt the Queen's intent, then." The ship rocked slightly, and I passed it off as a larger wave.

"Like I said, I think it's too early to tell. But I think it's a good idea to keep our minds, and options, open- at least until we have a better idea of what's going on. Perhaps neither side is truly in the wrong, perhaps it is in fact an outside force- or perhaps they actually have achieved harmony. There's just too much we don't know to make any well-founded judgement yet."

He nodded knowingly. "Wise words, young one." Whatever he was about to say next was cut short by a cry from outside, echoing around the whole ship.

"We've got another ship approaching, Captain!"

**Chapter Thirty One**

**Unknown Waters; HMS Dragon's Fang**

**Spike**

With one look, the two of us sprang from our seats and rushed out the door to the decks. I felt my twin daggers bumping against my sides reassuringly, and I didn't need to look to tell that Irath had grabbed the heavy steel blade from the wall behind him. We hadn't encountered a single ship on our journey yet, and with this one apparently approaching us, things were sure to get interesting. _We'll try to avoid combat, if they even intend on meeting us, of course- but it never hurt to have a bit of insurance._

The lookout that had called for us in the first place- the very same that had been laying around in the crows nest a few minutes previously, now stood on deck with us, peering into the distance with his looking glass. It would be hard to mistake him for anyone else: Fenrir- powerfully built (though a bit on the short side), with an untamable mane of blazing-red hair and matching beard; large twin axes hung from his back, and would jump easily to his muscular hands. He never had much trouble getting into the seafaring spirit of things- he was a berserker through and through, and an ever present bottle of rum would leave no question in any stranger's mind that he was a pirate.

He removed the spyglass from his eye and nodded to us. "I been watching 'em for a while now, not sure of their intent. No question about it- they been following us, and their starting to catch up. Dunno what they want, though."

"Their sails?" Irath inquired.

"Blank, captain. Either they're incognito, or pirates. Either way, I think we ought'a be on guard."

"...Very well. Rouse the others- tell them to bring their weapons, but leave them hidden against the railings. We'll lower the sails and allow them to overtake us, at least until we discover their true intent."

Fenrir and I both saluted quickly and made our way swiftly to the cabins. Soon the captain's orders were carried out, and the whole crew of fifteen stood on deck as the second ship approached. I was soon able to make out the vessel- it appeared to be lower to the water than ours, but longer to make up for it. It was alive with activity- even from here I could see several lights on deck and in windows, as well as a few suggestions of lanterns milling about along the length of the boat.

Fafnir stood next to me anxiously, absently adjusting his leather sling on his right arm(a nervous habit of his). While all the darts and his spear were against the railing, as they were ordered to be, the sling looked mostly like an odd but unthreatening glove and was innocent enough by itself to stay. "What do you think this is about?"

"Hard to tell." I said, folding my arms. "We really don't know where exactly the mainland is, so we can't say it's too far for them to be traders. But there's the matter of their blank sails, and there's no sense in coming at us if they're trying to be inconspicuous. It's starting to seem more and more likely they're pirates, in all honesty."

He made no response, but I could tell he was tensing up for combat, should it come to it. Soon the other ship alighted with ours, stopping short as it reached us. They made no attempt to board, nor did we see any cannons visible. A tall silhouette approached their railings and waved at us friendlily. Another figure moved next to him carrying a lantern, and we were able to make out the barest details of the two- their clothes seemed clean enough, and while neither looked like he had shaved for a few days, they were far from dirty-looking.

"Ahoy, travelers!" He called good-naturedly. "You're a bit far from land, mate. Catch a foul wind?"

"Aye." Irath responded, identifying himself as the captain. " 'S a bit hard to get our bearings out here, and in such darkness."

I could see what the captain was doing- he could tell these men were bluffing to some degree or another, and so he did the same. Until we learned their true motives, there was no need for them to know ours. He continued: "And you? What brings you to these waters?"

"Ah, we're just making our way back from a bit of a trading expedition- an offshore storage for another company, you see." Fafnir tugged at my shirt slightly, but I shrugged him off, focusing wholly on the conversation. "We're sailors for hire, we are. Doing a bit of work for one of the noble houses. Now, if it's not too troublesome to ask... what might you and your men be doing out here? I've never seen your vessel before, or indeed any like it."

"Well... Tell me, good sir, have you ever been to the land of Tellius?"

"Tellius?... No, I can't say I've even heard of such a land." Whatever he was about to say next was cut short by Fafnir.

"Excuse me, but... what is that?" Silence. He cupped his hand to his ear to motion that we were meant to be hearing something, though all I could hear was the sound of the waves between the two great wooden craft.

"I hear... Crying. The weak cries of a small infant." He said, only just loud enough for the sound to carry over to the other ship.

For a moment, I fancied that the other captain stiffened slightly, though it was well within reason that I imagined it. He cupped his own hand to his ear, though after a moment shrugged. "You sure? I'm not hearing anything."

He attempted to pick up where he left off, but now that I was looking for it, I began to hear the faintest hint of a cry as well, and I could sense I wasn't the only one. Soon the man was interrupted again. This time it was by Faslot, who-while never one to jump to an agreement with his brother- was always one to call out his enemies on something. "I'm sure I hear a baby's cry. And if I'm judging correctly... It seems to be coming from your ship, possibly in the under-decks."

Their captain gave an involuntary, and just noticeable, shift in posture, but recovered quickly. "Are you sure it's not a trick of the waves between our vessels? I've heard stranger sounds mistakenly heard in the situation."

"So he's sticking to the story that there is no child on board... A folly, to be sure." I muttered. Fafnir nodded curtly, catching my meaning.

"At any rate," Irath started, driving the conversation back in our direction, though he was clearly not oblivious to the noise. "We were on our way, on a diplomatic mission of sorts, and need to find our way to the shores of Equestria. If you were on your way back, perhaps we could procure you as an escort, and you could guide us?" It was obvious this wasn't really what Irath wanted, but I didn't have enough time to piece together what he was doing.

"You're diplomats, eh?" He leaned over to receive some quick message from the first sailor to join him (several others had made their way up to decks by now, and were watching us with growing interest), then returned to his original position. This had become a game of bluffs, and both sides knew it. "Well, by all means, I'm sure we could arrange something. You two- lower the gangplank. I'll be over in just a moment-"

"I'm afraid we don't have much of a meeting space on our vessel." Irath interrupted. "It'd be better if I were to come over there." His intent dawned on me- he wanted to get closer and find the source of the still-present noise.

The other captain stopped for a moment, seemingly unsure. He turned his head to listen to another crew-mate, and for the first time, I noticed an indistinct shape behind him- it could have been a person, but it was too dark to make it out. "Well... as we said, we're on a return journey for a trading job. Our ship's full to the brim as is- you know, perhaps an escort isn't that great an idea right now..."

"He's trying to back out." Fafnir said, stating the obvious. Whoever he had listened to a moment ago seemed to have pushed his mind in a different direction. "We need to make our move soon."

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused. As far as I could tell, there wasn't a move that needed our immediate attention. Curiosity, maybe, but it wasn't really our business, was it?

"Don't tell me you don't feel it. There's something in there. Or someone, or whatever- but I really feel like we need to figure it out before it's too late."

I shook my head, exasperated. Fafnir always acted like he knew more than he should- like he was more connected to the world than others, and he could tell when something bad or important was about to happen. A few times he had turned out to be right- though those were on counts of dumb luck or an already obvious factor. At least half the time, though, his premonitions were completely unfounded.

"So you're certain there can be no negotiations?" Irath said. I couldn't imagine what his next move would be, or if we'd try to force our way on board. The gangplank had been stopped as it reached their railings, and didn't appear to be moving.

Faslot, breaking away from a side conversation Fafnir had brought him into, grabbed another crew member. "C'mon." He whispered. "We're gonna sneak our gangplank over- quick, now. Don't know how much time we got left."

"I'm afraid not, mates." Their captain said. "My apologies for confusing you in the first place. Well, my mates and I really ought to be going, so..."

He trailed off as everyone turned to look above the two vessels, where something was happening. A small core of light had formed there, and was growing before our eyes. I could trace a tiny thread of energy to the hull of their ship, and guessed whoever was casting the spell was there. It became larger and began to fluctuate, loosing it's stability as it was stretched. The two ships were illuminated brilliantly, and I could make out the stunned, angry, and wide-eyed expressions of every sailor on the opposite deck.

All except the one standing behind the captain, arms crossed, black cloak shrouding his face.

And just like that, the core burst, flakes of light shooting this way and that before they went out. I could barely make it out now that my night vision had been ruined, but the captain turned to us and, in a decidedly hostile tone, said: "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to set sail away from here, mates."

**Chapter Thirty Two**

**Unknown Waters; HMS Dragon's Fang & HMS Longsword**

**Spike**

"Well?" He said, growing impatient. "Last chance. Get going, or we'll have to send you off in a somewhat more... _unfavorable _direction." At this, I became painfully aware of several cannons mounted at various places on deck and in windows below decks.

None of us moved. Retreat wasn't an option any longer- we knew that Fafnir had been right, and something in that ship needed to be re-appropriated. Just as the captain was preparing to order his men, another shape landed between him and the hooded figure, putting him in a powerful headlock.

"Here's another offer for ya." Fenrir said between clenched teeth. I had to wonder how he managed to get over there without anyone noticing. "You tell all your men to drop their weapons, and take us to the kid down below. Don't be mistaking us, _mate_,our guys are more than capable of taking down yours."

In response, the captain spat defiantly, then screamed one word to his men:

"_Fire!_"

A deafening series of blasts erupted from their ship, and before the rest of us could get to our battle stations, the _Dragon's Fang _was ripped to pieces. I stumbled, then scrambled for the railings to retrieve my knives. All pretense of our own peaceful intentions were gone, and I planned to get over there and stop what was left of our ship from taking more damage. In a blur of movement, Fafnir rushed past me, scooped up his weapons, and launched himself at the enemy ship with a powerful jump. He grabbed ahold of their railings and pulled himself up, already batting away blades with his spear.

I stood and moved aside as our gangplank was thrown across the gap, Faslot leading a small charge. Luckily, Fenrir's first move in the fight had caused chaos to erupt over on their ship as well, and no-one had a change to disengage their ship from ours. Most of the rest of our men had already rushed across to overtake their crew, and only Irath and I now remained on the _Dragon's Fang_. He stood where he had before, sword drawn, though made no move to attack.

"Captain!" I called, moving to his side. "We have to move! Their crew is much bigger than ours, and they could well be preparing another volley! We'll have to overtake their ship if we're to have a chance."

He turned to me. "And abandon ours? We've lost much of our vessel, and it's likely we won't be bringing her back. Would you have me leave my honor with her broken planks?"

My fist clenched. _Him and his pesky honor... I know he wants to remain an honorable warrior, but it's going to get him killed one of these days. _"It's not over yet, captain." I lied. "We can still save her if we prevent any more damage. But they'll just try harder if there's anyone left on board." Seeing the logic, he nodded reluctantly and joined me in charging to the opposite ship.

All around us was utter chaos. Swords clashed, blood spilled. I clenched my knives and looked around for a target to disable (I hoped to leave a few alive for interrogation, if not just to avoid taking lives needlessly), but saw none of the others unengaged already. That is, until my sights settled to the figure standing alone at the head of the ship.

It was the same black-cloaked individual I had seen before, and at this distance I was able to make him out more clearly. While none of his features were visible like this, I could see that he was rather tall and bulky- I could tell he packed some muscle beneath his cloak. I could see no weapons about him, though.

I charged at him, though I was slightly apprehensive. He showed no alarm or emotion about the bloodbath around him, and only looked on with mild interest. Upon seeing me approach, he cocked his head to the side slightly, unfolding his arms. Finally, upon reaching him, I just stopped, suitably intimidated by his calm inaction.

"A party of people from far away, all the way out here." He spoke in a deep, smooth voice. "And by the looks of you... you're Goldoan, the lot of you. So _this _must be what Four meant, _flames of war would hinder my mission... _Still don't understand why he couldn't just _say that_."

"And you?" I barked, turning slightly to make a smaller target, and settled into my battle stance. "First you're traders, now it's clear you're trained warriors. What is your purpose here? And what are you hiding?"

He chuckled disconcertingly. "The people you refer to- the sailors here- are nothing more than small-time pirates, who had a stroke of luck in a raid. Even more lucky than the prize itself, their action attracted my attention immediately, and I found myself serving them for a time, in exchange for its transfer to me. I- you see- am worth much more than any of them, and they wouldn't have gotten half as far with their prize were it not for my guidance."

"So they bought you." I said. "What is it they have that you want? Perhaps we can make another deal."

"Hmph. What they took isn't the object I seek, but a way to it. And I see no sense in changing sides, when..." He rolled his head around once, giving off a slight crack, "when I can merely take my prize and go. They failed their end of the bargain, but I'll still have my payment for holding up mine."

As neutral as he seemed to be remaining with his words, I couldn't think of him as anything but an enemy. Dark intentions, anger, hate, deceit- I could just feel all of these things emanating from him. No doubt about it- this man was not one to be trusted. "What is it you're taking?" I repeated.

"A prisoner, if you must know. Now, boy. I know you hold no allegiance to me, but neither do you to the men who owe me. Surely you should see it best to remain neutral in this conflict, one that ought not to have concerned you in the first place?"

"No, I don't." I ventured. "It may be the majority opinion of Goldoa to remain neutral, sure- but that's just it. The fifteen of us were selected specifically for _not _having that mindset. I know darkness when I see it, and I don't plan to just sit by and let it have its way."

He sighed, then raised his arms from his sides slowly. "So that's your final word on the subject? You're going to try and stop me form collecting my target just because I spook you, even when you're ignorant of all other factors?"

I flashed him a dark smile. "If what you were doing was right, you would have defended yourself by now."

He grunted, clearly finished with the conversation, and two katanas jumped to his hands, seemingly from beneath his cloak. With a snap of his wrists they jumped to life- each cackled with energy, one a pale blue, one pink. Without another word he launched himself at me, and I had to work fast to deflect his whirling blades.

For his bulk, he moved with surprising speed and grace, and I had to stay at a distance to parry his hits with my shorter weapons. The lightning-fast movement of the bright, colorful blades only added to the confusion and chaos of the battle. He spun backwards and slashed horizontally with both blades, and I was forced to stumble back to avoid them. All of a sudden, he backed up, then leapt clear over me and onto the decks.

The battle had run its course by now. Despite our best efforts, and the fact that very few- if any- of the pirates remained alive, at least two more volleys of cannonballs had been shot off, and the _Dragon's Fang _was just barely staying afloat.

My opponent looked around, several other Goldoans leveling weapons in his direction. He raised his arms slightly in defeat. "Well played, dragons, well played. I would have liked for this skirmish to go in a different direction- it was quite the artifact I had my eyes on, too. But I'm not stupid. One or two, yes, but I'm not about to take on ten Goldoan dragons all on my lonesome. Might have been a good prize, but it's not _that _valuable. Ta-ta then, mateys. Have fun with your new toys."

With a flourish of his arms, he planted his hands on the deck, and a strange dark energy enveloped him. In a moment it was gone, as was he. I released a pent up breath I hadn't realized I was holding, and vaulted over the rail to the lower deck to join the others. Everyone seemed to walk in a daze, getting wounds patched up or moving the limp bodies of the pirates to the side. While we had won the battle, I saw that the pirates weren't defenseless themselves, and had done a lot of damage to several of us.

I moved over to Fafnir, who was leaning on the edge of the ship, a forlorn expression on his face, stray droplets from the waves below washing away the sweat from his forehead. He made no indication that he had seen me approach, but spoke as I came up next to him.

"... We lost two men today." I respectfully said nothing, unable to think of a good response. "... Faslot... He was one of them."

At this, I had to admit I was surprised. Faslot was a great fighter, and I wouldn't have thought any old Beorc could take him down easily. To think such a solid fighter and clear-thinking friend was gone... "I'm sorry..." was all I could think to say.

Fafnir looked up to the black night sky, eyes not resting on anything in particular. "He took on the captain, plus two or three other crewmen all by himself... He took 'em all down with him, at least." His head leveled again, then he shook it as though waking from a daze. "No. He wouldn't want us to spend too much time moping about his death. He'd tell us to get back on our feet and finish the job at hand, and mourn later."

I nodded, glad to see him recovering himself. Fafnir was never one to get too upset about anything, and it was always strange to see him down in the dumps like that. "He won't be forgotten, I can tell you that."

He nodded, giving me a thankful smile. "Hey, you wanna go see what that crying was all about? Whatever it was, they sure were keen to guard it. C'mon, let's go investigate."

**Chapter Thirty Three**

**Unknown Waters; HMS Longsword**

**Spike**

The two of us made our way down to the under decks, but saw no sign of any prisoner. The layout of the ship was entirely different from our own, though the most basic things were the same. It took us a minute to figure out where everything was, but soon we had a general idea of the under decks sketched out in our minds.

"Could be in the hull." Fafnir pointed out, and I nodded. We walked over to the back of the vessel, where a hatch in the floorboards led down to the space below. I swung it open and hopped down, and had to squint to try and see in the darkness. From what I could see from the torchlight in the room above, there wasn't much of anything down here, though a few boxes could be seen just on the edge of the halo of light. I could tell that the darkness across the hull held more secrets though.

As I looked around, a shaky female voice reached me from the shadows. "Wh- who are you? You're not one of them, are you?"

"The pirates?" I guessed. "Nah. They tried to take us on, we killed 'em. Looks like we're getting a new ship out of the deal, too. You're their prisoner?"

I could hear a chain jangling as she stood. "Y-yes! Please, you've got to get us out of here! I beg you, neither of us can last much longer like this!"

"We? Who else is back there? Agh, Fafnir, get me a torch, will you? I can't see a thing."

"My child. They took us both, and have only been giving us just enough to keep us alive for the return journey, but... She needs help soon."

_So that's where the crying from earlier came from. Must be a pretty small kid. _I thought, Fafnir appearing at my side with a bright, newly-lit torch. By its illumination, I was able to confirm that more loot was stored near the back, plus I could get a better look at the person I was talking to. She looked like she had once been rather fancy looking- her lighter violet hair still showed signs of having been done up recently, though now was becoming more and more messy. Her clothes had lost some of their color, though it was clear they were once an expensive set. A single chain kept her where she was by the ankle.

Cradled in her arms was a tiny girl, who couldn't have been more than a single year of age (going by Beorc standards, of course). A tuft of violet hair sat upon her head, darker than her mother's. At the moment, she appeared to have fallen asleep.

"Let's get them out of here. Fafnir, we need to find the keys to that chain tying her to the wall."

"No we don't." He said, pulling a lock pick from his boot and walking over to them, setting fast to work on the lock. "So, who are you, then? Why'd they take you prisoner?"

"I'm... I'm a member of the noble house Icarus back at Equestria. My daughter and I were on a voyage to another part of the country by sea, as it's easier traveling than trying to get through the wilderness between. But our ship was attacked, and the rest of our crew was stranded or killed. They recognized me- and by extension, her- and took us prisoner, hoping to be able to get a ransom for our return."

"Done." Fafnir said, the ankle lock clanging satisfyingly to the ground. He stowed the pick back where he got it. "Well, you won't need to worry with us, ma'am. We're on a diplomatic mission for our King, and all we need to do is get to Equestria. And wouldn't you believe, we've got some extra rations now, thanks to those pirates. We'll get you home."

"Oh, bless you all." She breathed, giving a slight bow. "I am forever in your debt."

"Let's take a look at the kid, then." I said, walking over to them.

"I think she's gotten sick, but she hasn't had it long." She offered quietly.

"Yeah, doesn't appear too serious, if we get it taken care of right away." Fafnir said. "If any of the Olivi Grass med's made it after all that cannon fire, that should do the trick. C'mon, let's get up there, quick."

"Is this what we've been driven to?" Irath complained. "Are we to arrive on a diplomatic mission in a pirated vessel?"

"We're to _arrive_, captain." Fenrir said, putting the situation into simple perspective. "The _Dragon's Fang _ain't going nowhere in the shape she's in. 'Sides, they prob'ly stole this ship from someone themselves- we'll just return her, aye? I say we just get what we need off the _Dragon's Fang_, then finish the voyage in this."

Irath sighed thoughtfully, then spoke again. "I suppose there's nothing that can be done for it... Very well. Three of you head over to the _Dragon's Fang_ and retrieve what you can- rations, ammunition, valuables- anything that made it through the attack. Be cautious, though- She can't be very stable any longer. When you're finished... Bring the bodies across. Put the pirates in the under decks, our two lost at the mast. When it's cleared out, it will have to serve as a funeral pyre. The rest of you, let's see what this new ship has to offer. See if there's any navigation equipment on board, perhaps we can figure out how far from Equestria we are at this point."

"I'm headed over." Fafnir said, moving over to the gang plank. "We need to see if there's any med's left for the pirate's prisoners. C'mon you two, let's move." He motioned for two others to join him, and they soon disappeared into the now sorry-looking vessel.

Our ex-prisoner walked up behind us, her hair obtaining a strange ghostly hue in the pale blue moonlight. Her child squirmed in her arms, sleeping fitfully. "You are the captain of these men?" She asked Irath kindly.

"Aye." He responded, turning to face her. "Captain Irath, at your service. You were their captive, I presume?"

"Cybel. It's a pleasure to meet all of you."

Irath smiled. "The pleasure's all mine. Fear not, we'll see you two to land safely."

"That's the lot of it." Fafnir reported an hour later. "Most of the gunpowder either went up or got soaked, and as we haven't found a single speck of it on board this ship, let's just hope we don't run into any more trouble, eh? The food came out pretty well, for the most part, and we've got more than enough medicine for the two ladies."

Curiously, as Fafnir had said, we found not a trace of gunpowder having ever been on board- instead, we found inside the cannons small translucent spheres, thrumming with magical energy. It seemed that by pulling a rope at the end of their cannons, the spheres were broken, and the explosion of magic energy was what propelled the cannonballs. It seemed most of the technology used by these pirates was magic based, to some degree.

Irath nodded impassively. "We could be worse off. Thank you, Fafnir."

"The rum?" Fenrir inquired from a bit further away, where he sat casually on the railings.

Fafnir shook his head. "Sorry, but it looks like the rum is gone." Fenrir shook his own head in mock dismay, and muttered to himself: "Why's the rum always gone...?". Fafnir turned away from him. "The _Dragon's Fang _is ready for the funeral pyre. Whenever you're ready, captain."

Soon our new vessel- the _Longsword_- detached itself from the wreckage of the _Dragon's Fang_, and Irath stepped forward to the port side where it drifted. With a determined sigh, he slammed together his fists and threw his arms back, becoming enveloped in a strange gleaming black-silver light. When it faded, a huge orange dragon floated on leathery wings in his place. Beside me, I could see Cybel flinch, and her child began to cry in fear. I didn't see any need though- while Irath's transformed appearance may have been rather intimidating, I knew he would never turn to harm any of us.

With a roll of his head, ending with a lunge at the _Dragon's Fang_, a jet of red flame erupted from his maw and set the vessel to burn. With a flourish he promptly changed back to his human form, and soon the two ships were drifting apart- the _Longsword _headed back to its homeland, the _Dragon's Fang _on its way to its final resting place. Fafnir and I removed our bandanas in respect, and didn't put them back on until we lost sight of the pyre. Cybel came to stand with us after retiring to the under decks briefly to calm her spooked child, who still rested in her arms.

After it was all clearly over, she spoke up quietly. "What _was_ that? How was it that he transformed into a dragon like that?"

I sighed, sympathetic to her confusion. "We are from the distant land of Tellius, and the country of Goldoa. We are among the Dragon Tribe of the Laguz race- alongside the beast and bird tribes. All the Laguz have this ability to transform as such. Our king sent us here to try and make official contact with the queen, since we only became aware of the presence of Equestria through several castaways."

"So, you're all like him..."

I nodded. "We hoped to avoid transforming too much while we're here, and studied other forms of fighting. But we felt it necessary to make an exception to retire our warriors- tradition and honor are some our core tenants."

She nodded in understanding, though I could tell she was still in awe and uncertainty of our abilities. I didn't wholly blame her- I would never tell anyone, but even before the voyage, I never transformed much. Having such insane amounts of power at my fingertips was a huge responsibility and burden- and frankly, sometimes it scared me that I was capable of such destruction.

"So... why orange?" She asked, now more curious than stunned. "I would have thought his scales would match the color of his hair."

"Heh." Fafnir chuckled on her other side. "That's what he wanted to do. His hair's actually orange, just like his scales, but he dyes it black. He hopes that when people realize he's a Goldoan Dragon, they'll think he's a royal black dragon on top of that, and be at his mercy."

Cybel laughed slightly. "Does that ever work?"

Fafnir shrugged, grinning. "Once or twice."

I looked up to the night sky, cloudless, shining stars and a luminescent bluish moon looking back down upon us. "It's getting late." I pointed out, realizing how tired I was. Already, descending to the decks of the _Dragon's Fang _just after sunset- only an hour or two ago- seemed like yesterday. "I think we should all try to catch some sleep- especially the little one here."

She nodded wearily. "You're right. Heh, I guess it'll be nice to be sleeping upstairs for once."

"Oh, incidentally... I don't think we ever learned your child's name?" I asked as the three of us headed down to the bunk room.

"Ah, sorry about that. Her name... is Rarity."

**Chapter Thirty Four**

**Year 498; EverFree Forest, House of the Hylian**

**Twilight**

Spike stopped his storytelling at this point, pausing dramatically for his statement to set in. Twilight shook her head in wonder. _How deeply are all of us tied already? When we all met at the Lunar Festival,__we were almost all complete strangers. And yet, it seems like we were bound to each other long before..._

Rarity, on the other hand, only laughed quietly in amazement. She spoke, but seemed at a loss for words. "I mean... I really knew as soon as you mentioned House Icarus and my mother's name... And, she did once say that it was thanks to me that she escaped a group of bloodthirsty pirates, so I know it's true... But I never would have guessed it was the Guardian Dragons that saved us... Did you know it was me this whole time?"

"The whole time." Spike confirmed. "You hadn't noticed, but I've been into town every once in a while to check up on you, as a favor to Cybel. I've realized a while ago that I basically serve as a guardian to almost every single one of you in some way or another."

"That's the way to do it, mate!" Xekora applauded. "Now, er, before we continue, can we get one thing out of the way- Has _anyone _else run into one of these mysterious black-cloaked Order gents?... No? Alright. Let me say this now: I know not what this group is after, or who indeed any of them are- in all my time here, I've not run into a single one of them. But allow me to clarify this: they are not your primary concern. They seem to want to stay out of the general path of danger, so I'd advise not trying to hunt any of them down and drag them into this.

"Still... It surprises me that this group has managed to slip past my view for so long. Perhaps... Perhaps I should find some time to look into this... But I digress. Spike, by all means, please continue."

**Year 482; Equestrian Waters; HMS Longsword**

**Spike**

The next morning, I reported straight to the captain's quarters, which was furnished well with pirated loot. None of it appeared to have been touched, though, and Irath didn't cast it a second glance. On the wooden desk in the center of the room, he had lined up two maps- one salvaged from our ship of Tellius and its surrounding waters, another with an unfamiliar landmass and oceans- I assumed it must have been Equestria. He seemed to be trying to estimate the distance remaining between the two using both maps, with little success.

"They don't appear to share any common landmarks..." He commented. "There's a few islands near Equestria, but they're not far out enough to show up on the Tellius map... However, if those pirates abducted you from a ship sailing around to a different part of the continent..."

Cybel stood beside him, assisting him with lining up the charts. Neither one seemed to have noticed my entrance. "They did make land at a small island to stock up on supplies two days previously, so... we're about here, I think... We actually might reach the easternmost coast well before nightfall, if we shoot for this port town here, and sail at the pace we've been going..."

I walked up to the desk, drawing their attention. "Hey, what's going on?" I asked casually.

"Ah, Spike. I'm not sure if you overheard, but it seems we're much closer to land than we previously thought. Tell the others to raise the sails immediately. Tonight we make port!"

I nodded excitedly. _At last, Equestria! I wonder what it's like... Whatever, really, I'm ready to be rid of all this endless water. _"Aye aye, captain! I'll round up everyone who's not up already. But, er... have you seen Fafnir around? I haven't seen him all morning."

"Over here." I heard him say from the side of the room. I hadn't seen him on my way in, as the layout of the captain's quarters were completely different from what I was used to. He was sitting comfortably on a small padded bench, bouncing Rarity playfully on his knee. "Keeping her occupied while her mom's working on getting us where we're going." Rarity made a grab for his hair, and I decided to just get everyone else together. He seemed preoccupied.

I ran outside, scrambled up to the crows nest and, hanging from the edge next to Fenrir, announced loudly: "All hands on deck! Raise the anchors, trim the sails! Tonight, we dine in Equestria!" My words were met with cheers from the crew, and in a few minutes the ship was racing forward, the salty air rushing past pleasantly.

The hours passed with the waves, and the sun crawled across the sky at a decent pace. As we manned the ship, I'm sure I wasn't the only one with excited thoughts running trough my mind. At last, our journey would soon be over, and we would make the first solid contact with this new people. I had no real idea what to expect, but with the balance of magic, flight, and strength they claimed to have, I guessed it must have been nice-looking at least.

As the sun began its descent, and the western sky became illuminated with brilliant orange light, I heard an exclamation from above: "There, on the horizon! I can see land!" It took a few minutes for it to clearly come into view without a viewing glass, but soon I also saw it- the faintest of outlines of the ground and tall buildings rising from it.

The outline gradually grew in view, until we could make out more detail- the distant forms of ships coming and going separated themselves from the port, and soon it became that clear a city of some size was built around it.

The illusion was broken, however, when we approached the port more closely. As the _Longsword _drifted closer, our pace slowed at last, a booming voice echoed around us. It had the strangest quality of coming from everywhere and nowhere, and I guessed it must have been some kind of magical amplification. The voice said only this:

"_Pirates. You are under arrest. Do not attempt to flee or to otherwise resist capture, as you are surrounded. Do not attempt violence, as you are vastly out-armed. Approach the port and prepare for arrest._"

The rest of the crew had joined me on deck by now, and as the message ended, all other sound was drowned out by our worried chatter. Irath climbed to the upper deck and yelled for our attention. The talk died down as he addressed us: "Men! It seems we've been mistaken for the pirates we defeated, as they can only see this no-doubt stolen ship from where they are. I think it best to let them lead us to port, then we can explain that it isn't us. Cybel, can you help with that? They may not value the word of a total stranger much more than a criminal."

"Of course." She said, nodding vigorously. Irath gave the orders necessary, and the _Longsword _began to creep forward towards the port again. We had about halved the distance when we came parallel to another ship heading out. We had just about passed it fully, when...

The floor under me shook violently, and most of the crew was thrown off their feet. I scrambled up as quickly as possible, drawing my weapons and running to the back of the ship to get a better look at the attacking vessel. What I saw made my blood run cold. The opposing deck was heavily manned, with a dozen cannons trained on the _Longsword_. The people in question were far from the look of state soldiers, and upon the helm, I was able to see for a split second a black-cloaked figure, who gave me a phony salute before disappearing in a sphere of darkness.

"No... More pirates..." Cybel whispered next to me, before running for cover. I slammed my fist into the railing angrily. _The hooded guy! He must have hired more pirates to get back at us! But why so close to port? Surely they'll just get apprehended like this. _Our ship continued on its path as the remaining ten crew members scrambled to man the cannons aboard our own ship. We had little gunpowder to speak of, but none of us intended to go down without a fight.

I nearly tripped down the stairs in my haste. We didn't stop or turn the ship to fight- if all else failed, we could escape into the harbor, and it looked like nothing else was going to happen. We were out maneuvered and outgunned, and currently had enemies on both sides. Two cannons were mounted at the back of the ship, and we were currently pouring all our resources into those, in the hopes of slowing the ship behind us. I remained on deck to direct our path towards port, but felt all hope we had rebuilt drop like a stone at what I saw next.

A split second before they hit, I saw the huge volley of cannonballs.

I threw myself forward to duck for cover, just before the shots ripped through both vessels. _What are they doing?_ I screamed in my mind, though all thought processes by now had firmly shut down, putting me in full survival mode. _Do they not eve care anymore? They're just trying to kill all of us! _

Our ship was in utter chaos- fire from both directions tore through us, and it was clear that nothing that stayed on the _Longsword _was going to make it. What was worse (I hit myself for realizing it could get _worse _from there) was that we had only two five-man lifeboats, and fourteen and a half people to evacuate.

**Chapter Thirty Five**

**Port Town; _HMS Longsword_**

**Spike**

Irath dashed to the center of the ship, or did what was as close to dashing as you could get with no solid ground under you. The ship was quickly collapsing in on itself, so he spoke loud, clear, and quickly. "Everyone, get to the lifeboats, quickly! Fly some kind of white flag, and get to port as fast as you can! We need to let them know we're on their side!"

I stumbled over the violently shaking boards, planks splintering away under the fire and littering the air all around me, but still I pushed forward towards the captain. Fafnir made his way past, leading Cybel and Rarity as swiftly as he could to the opposite side of the ship, where the lifeboats would be waiting.

Leaping clear over a hole torn in the floorboards, I skidded to a halt before Irath. "Captain, getting out with the lifeboats isn't going to stop them! We'll just get shot down again! We have to do something about the other pirates!"

A look of profound sadness crossed his face, only to be replaced by bloody-minded determination a moment later. "Leave the situation to me, young lad. Get to the lifeboats and make sure the others are safe."

"And you?" I yelled over the din of the rapidly exploding ship. "You have to get out of here too! You're the whole reason we've gotten this far!"

He looked to me, resigned but not unhappy. He gave me a smile screaming finality. "And I'll be the reason you make it all the way. I trust you to get the job finished, Spike. Now follow your captain's last order and get out of this storm."

I didn't want to go, but it quickly became clear that was my only option. Against all my better judgement, I turned and ran for the side of the ship, skirting over gaps in the floor and bits of flaming shrapnel, and was launched clear into the air by a violent explosion as I reached the edge. I flailed in the air pathetically for the moment before I collided with the water.

The sounds of battle were muffled under the waves, and the ripping apart of the _Longsword _and the deafening noise of cannons were only a distant echo. Straining all my muscles, I swam upward and surfaced roughly. Gasping for air, I looked around, and saw one of the lifeboats nearby. Fafnir, Cybel and Rarity, as well as three others were already inside, Fafnir waving his spear in the air with his white bandana tied to it, serving as a white flag of surrender to the port officials.

The boat was already technically full, but they all moved aside and made room for me as they saw me treading water. I swam up to them in a few strokes and climbed aboard, and, looking around, saw the other lifeboat similarly crowded. I twisted around to see the battle again, and was helpless to do anything but watch.

From the wreckage of the _Longsword_, which had finally become scarcely anything other than a pile of timber floating on the waves, rose a ferocious orange dragon, who let loose a furious blast of flame at the pirate's ship. Even as he was pelted with shrapnel and iron, magical blasts and cannon fire, he pushed through to brutally obliterate the enemy ship.

The pirates never stood a chance. A few lucky ones managed to jump ship just after it was set aflame, but none survived when Irath dove sharply and body-slammed the whole thing, sinking it violently. He rose into the air raggedly- as he was still being fired upon by the clueless port soldiers- let out a roar that alone caused a ripple in the water, just as his wings gave out. He fell backwards through the air in slow motion, and when he collided with the sea, a huge shockwave of water erupted from around him, sending the lifeboats hurtling forward.

When the waves subsided, Irath was gone, lost to the sea.

The two tiny boats, both sporting white flags floated on, at last in peace. An utter silence surrounded us all- indeed, even the ocean seemed to hush its voice in the tense moment. The only sounds were the occasional whimper from Rarity, but she didn't start crying. When the silence was broken, it was by one voice from the other lifeboat, barely perceptible from ours:

"Where's Fenrir?" Realizing what he was saying, I looked around rapidly, but saw no sign of him either. _We didn't loose him too, did we?_

Fafnir spoke suddenly, as though reading my thoughts. "Guys. This is Fenrir we're talking about. You don't think something as insignificant as a shipwreck would be enough to slow him down? He'll be alright."

As much as I wanted to agree with him, I didn't share his optimism. "Then where is he? I'm not seeing him treading water anywhere."

He looked around, confirming for himself what I saw: nothing. All other ships had stopped short, the crews of each most likely having gone somewhere safe but with a good view of the action, and nothing but our tiny vessels floated out this far at this point. When he turned back, it seemed my point had reached him. "He's not dead." Fafnir still insisted. "I don't know where he is, but he can't be dead. That just wasn't enough to kill him."

I knew he was partially trying to keep the crews spirits- well, not _up_, but keep them from getting even lower- but I saw in his eyes that he truly believed what he was saying. For him, I made the same effort, and had to agree- Fenrir was an incredibly resilient warrior, and it would have taken a huge amount of pummeling to wear him down.

And yet, he was nowhere to be seen.

The boats made their way to port, assisted by the oars stowed in the bottom we had ignored up until now. We tied off the lines to the wooden posts and the end of the lifeboats and climbed onto the planks of port. For the first time in weeks, the ground was utterly solid, and all of us had to take a moment to get our land legs back.

We weren't alone on the docks: Several soldiers in grey armor stood at the end, weapons and magic trained on us uncertainly. A lone figure walked forward to meet us, dressed in normal clothes with a few bits of pale green armor here and there. From the way the other soldiers moved aside for him, I guessed he was the one in charge of the operation. Cybel straightened immediately, then turned to Fafnir. "Could I get you to hold Rarity for a moment?" He nodded wordlessly, took the child from her, and stood back.

Cybel stalked up to the newcomer, looked him straight in the eye, and slapped him across the face almost hard enough to send him reeling off the dock altogether. Before he could recover, she moved over to him again and grabbed him roughly by the collar, pulling him off his feet to face her. Several of the soldiers back on land tensed or moved forward, but a vicious glare from Cybel stopped them short.

"Rytas, what the hell do you think you're doing?" She barked at him. "I was ON that ship you decided to open fire on! The ship that was going to come quietly anyway! The ship that had been re-pirated by these _diplomats _from another country, looking to make contact with us! They saved my life, which is so much less than I can say for someone from my own country, who I _almost _was ready to call _friend_! Their first contact with the kingdom of Equestria was getting _shot at_, you endangered me and my daughter, _and_ you even managed to kill their captain in the process!"

She shoved him violently back, where he collapsed on the ground with a look of fear and apprehension on his face. He flinched as she moved forward and pointed a finger in his face. "I swear to whatever God you hold dear, you will pay dearly for this." With that she walked around him and, motioning for us to follow, walked straight past the awestruck soldiers.

Even more awestruck, the party of Goldoans followed. Looking beside me, I could see a look of profound admiration, amazement and... something else on Fafnir's face. I specifically chose not to give it a second thought as we went.

_The next few days passed in a haze of activity. After returning to her hometown for a while, to let everyone know that she was okay and to leave Rarity where she would be safe, Cybel organized a meeting with the Queen. As the head of one of the various noble houses dotted around Equestria, she had an easier time of it than most would, and in only two days time the remaining eleven of us found ourselves bound for the capital city of Eclipse._

_I could go on about the beauty of the city, especially the castle- its blend of ancient and modern architecture, the needle-like spires that seemed to reach to the sky, the abundance of both useful and strictly decorative magical objects- I _could _talk about that for ages, but I won't bore you with the details. Soon we made our way through the gigantic towering corridors of Eclipse castle, and found ourselves before the queen Celestia._

_She showed great curiosity in us, though gave us due respect. As we had suspected before, when she learned of our true nature, she implored us that we show her the extent of our power. We all transformed at some point, though she decided to have us do it in a private area (she told us it was to avoid alarming the populace, but I had a feeling it was partly to have the knowledge to herself). Needless to say, she was impressed._

_However, she went on to inform us that it was a stroke of dumb luck that we had managed to make it so far, and that there was little to no chance of us getting back. Naturally, the crew wasn't happy about this, and arguments arose immediately- and with us now without a captain, a leader, there was no-one to quell them effortlessly. When she was able to get our attention again, she said she would do everything in her power to find us a way home, and would shelter us in the meantime._

_She said that it would be possible to send messages back to Goldoa by use of a rather specific magic spell, so long as the spell caster had someone on hand who knew exactly where to send it. We jumped on that without much thought, writing up a big old log on everything that had happened to us so far, and the situation we currently found ourselves in, and soon sent it on its way. As it stood, we had no way of receiving messages from home, but we all agreed it was better than nothing._

_We all remained at Eclipse for a time, before the idea of splitting up and studying the goings-on around the country was brought up- an idea beneficial to both us Goldoans and Celestia. She agreed that we should go, and offered to personally employ each of us as a guardian warrior to serve as a last-line of defense in the case of an attack. We agreed, and soon I had to say goodbye to each brave soldier I had fought alongside for the past months, one by one. _

"So..." Fafnir started, leaning against the grand gateway standing at the entrance to the castle. His bandana was stuffed in his pocket, and a stiff wind ran through his short green hair. His bundle of weapons was slung across his back. "I guess this is it for now, ol' buddy."

"Yeah..." I said, not really knowing what else to say. I was never any good at goodbyes. "We'll stay in contact with letters, right?"

"Course! We gotta stay in touch, right? If we didn't... what would even be the point?" He laughed it off casually, and a time passed before either of us spoke again. In all that time, he made no indication of moving. "I got stationed to the town where House Icarus is."

"That's the house Cybel is from, right? Congrats! It's always good to have some pre- existing contacts around."

He looked up into the air, and the midday sky. I couldn't begin to read his expression. "_Pre- existing contact_..." He rolled the words around experimentally, then smiled vaguely. "Yeah, I guess so. Dunno if it'll be permanent, though..."

Something else was on his mind, I could tell. "Fafnir, are you alright? You seem distracted." I decided to just ask away.

He took a moment before answering. At last, he turned to face me. "I'm just fine, don't you worry, but... yeah, a bit distracted." Another lapse in conversation, only broken by a few birds chirping and the white noise of the city beyond the gates. He picked up again a moment later. "Well... Nah, it's... it's nothing. Well, I guess I'd better be off. Lemmie know if you hear anything about Fenrir. Catch you later!" He stood upright and, with a final wave backward, walked out the gates and into the city.

I stood, hands in pockets, watching him go. We had both convinced ourselves Fenrir was still alive somewhere, and it wasn't too much of a stretch, really- the port officials had managed to locate each and every other body involved in the firefight, save for his. To this end, we believed firmly that he was still out there somewhere- though where, we had no clue.

**Chapter Thirty Six**

**Year 498; House of the Hylian**

**Rainbow Dash**

"Before you ask, though- no, Fafnir isn't in town any longer." Spike continued. "He got transferred to another place around ten years or so ago, and is still there for all I know. He never did tell me why he switched though, just that he was needed more elsewhere.

"I mostly just lazed around Eclipse for a while after that. It wasn't as though the capital city needed any more defensive measures, so I really didn't have much to do. But it was important that the King's eyes and ears were able to see what was going on at the capital, so I resolutely stayed. I always had two things on my mind, though- finding out what happened to Fenrir, and finding a way to get home.

"The Queen figured out after a while that she wasn't getting rid of me, but without anything to defend against (what kind of idiot would attack the capital city with a full barracks?) I was little better than dead weight to her. So one day, not quite a year after we arrived, she approached me with a request. She had... picked up... a new apprentice, and asked if I would serve as a guardian for her. You know, bodyguard, confidant- the works.

"At first, I had no idea why she was asking me. All my life before then, I had been around maybe three children regularly, and by then I was sure she'd have figured that out. But I decided I'd see the apprentice at least, decide whether or not I thought I was up to the task. So she led me through the halls to a room that looked as though it had recently been converted specifically for this use. There were toys and a bed, and... other, kid stuff. In the center of the room was a little girl, messing around with some kind of magic-resonance-light show thing."

He motioned to Twilight, indicating he was speaking of her. "She turned around curiously when the door opened, our eyes met and... That was it. I stayed by her side ever since, and at some point I even stopped caring whether we found a way home or not. Still don't. But at first, something didn't quite sit right with me. When the queen said she found an apprentice, I thought she meant one who was around ten or so, who was fully ready to kick of magic training- Twilight was only two years old at the time.

"It kept nagging at me, and I decided I needed to check where she came from- I needed to see what the circumstances were that her parents would be willing to give her over to the queen completely. It proved more of a challenge than I thought it would- already traces of her past life were being erased, and I really started to feel suspicious about the whole thing.

Eventually I did manage to track her family down- a pair of accomplished, but not namely 'gifted' mages themselves. I learned through talking to them exactly one time, and getting second opinions from some other townspeople, that they had given up Twilight without a fight. They were both clearly devoted to their ruler, and would and had made the ultimate sacrifice for her. When I spoke with them, it was in their own home, as they had invited me in after I told them of my standing with the queen. And- while I was there- I did happen to see another young girl of the same age as Twilight..."

He now nodded in Trixie's direction. "I pretty much just left it at that. I considered trying to talk sense into her parents, but the fact that I knew it wouldn't do any good, the fact that Celestia would never give her up by then, and the fact that I thought I could do a much better job of raising Twilight than her parents had demonstrated they could- I decided I'd just work with the situation instead."

He wrapped up his bit of the story, and offered for one of the others to take over. _Glad to hear someone else here is in their right mind. _I thought. _There is nothing right about what Celestia did. And to think... _I flashed back to the last bit of my story, of what that soldier had said. _... That was almost me. It's almost like I had three different paths to choose from- to live the rest of my childhood with Applejack, to be taken to The Order with Fluttershy, or to become a human weapon for Celestia with Twilight... Thanks, Vi._

Going on this line of thought, I remembered the one part of the story I had conveniently failed to mention, mostly because I wanted to understand it fully myself before I tried telling anyone else about it. A while after his execution, I had had a dream, in which I was on a featureless plain, surrounded by rolling fog and unable to go anywhere. Eventually, out from the fog came Ultraviolet. I asked if it was a dream, and half expected the imaginary world to start falling apart, as it usually did when I realized I was dreaming.

It did not. "_Yes..." _He had started, "_And no. You're asleep and in a world of your unconscious mind, yes. But- at the same time, this _is_ happening. I've just figured out how to contact you this way- it seems this is the only way I can- and I wanted to test it out, drop in and say hi."_

_Aren't... Aren't you, dead though? _I asked him. _Are you talking from beyond the grave or something?_

"_Yeah... Yeah, I'm dead. That much is still true. Right now... I'm not sure what's become of me. Everything's been moving too fast for me to figure it all out, and I'm still trying to learn all the new rules. If what's happening to me is what happens to all people when they die, or if this is something that I have to brave alone... I'm not sure. But I wanted to use this chance while I had it to see you, maybe one last time, and tell you anything you want to know, that I wasn't able to tell you when I was alive."_

I gave it some thought- an action made totally unnecessary by the fact that in this place, every thought in my mind was laid out like a platter in my mind, and I could access any and all of them instantly. Quite disorienting the first time trying it. _Just... What happens now? What am I supposed to do?_

"_You're staying with Mac and Applejack, and their family now, correct?... Then don't worry about it too much. I trust Mac to get things where they need to be. Just do as you're told, and in time, you'll know what has to be done."_

I shook my head, bringing myself back to the present. Luckily, I hadn't missed anything, as Phil and Trixie were trying to decide who went next.

Phil stepped forward after a moment, but only shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you. Celestia found me when I was little in what I assume was the same way she found Twilight. Being a human phoenix as I am, I was just as viable to be a human weapon as a gifted mage like Twilight. She tried the same tactic at first- essentially just asking nicely. My parents- one Child of Fire and one Hawk Tribe Laguz, as it happened- refused, and it came to violence. Long story short... they got killed, she took me regardless, and I was raised like a brother with Twilight."

I was somewhat concerned that he was able to skim over the death of his parents so easily. _I guess he _was_ little at the time... could be he only knows how it happened out of researching it, and doesn't remember the event. But then... It could also be because he doesn't want to get all emotional about it like I did, especially in front of his little girlfriend._

"Wait... Human Phoenix?" Rarity asked first, several others agreeing. Phil grinned, a look that was startlingly similar to one I would use regularly.

"Yeah. Watch this!" He clapped his hands together and wrung them for a moment, then ran forward and kicked into the air just short of the campfire, his wings spreading wide as he went. But when he reached the peak of his jump, instead of flapping his wings to propel him further into the air, he only hovered while he threw back his head and arms, giving a strong, hawk-like cry.

A strange, fire-like orange light enveloped him, and from the core of light a huge bird shot forth into the sky, like no other bird I'd ever seen. It's feathers were all the same color as before- blazing orange and red, and seemed to shift colors like a leaping flame as the bird tore through the sky. With its more compact form, it was able to (and did) preform complex and tight arial maneuvers that I could only dream of doing so efficiently.

With an entirely unnecessary flourish, the bird nosedived straight for the ground, and landed as a human again just as it approached the ground. Phil rolled forward to his feet, then slightly more into a bow, meeting applause from most everyone gathered. I found it to be a bit flashy, but I clapped anyway. "Human phoenix." He confirmed, returning to his seat next to Twilight. "Trixie, you're up."

She stood in his place slowly. "Well... I guess it was when I was eight or so... I had finally figured out what had really happened that day, six years ago, and managed to squeeze a confession out of my parents about it. As you can well imagine, I wasn't too happy about it. I was absolutely enraged that all this time, I had once had a twin sister- and that they just _gave her away_ just because Celestia asked them to. I got so caught up in thoughts of what could have been, the awesome childhood we both missed out on- and I realized I couldn't stay with them any longer. I hated them for what they did, and just couldn't bring myself to be any kind of loyal to them ever again.

"I ran. I grabbed what I could and walked out the door, never to look back. I think they tried to find me again for a while, but they didn't deserve to find me. It wasn't an easy way to live, but I managed to avoid them altogether. I had some money with me, and some food, so I wasn't too desperate for a while, and ended up sneaking out of Eclipse before too long. The crowds weren't making it easy to go undetected, and I needed to find a more permanent place. I don't know what I thought I was going to do after that, but at the time, I think I was just focusing on the problem at hand.

"I managed to make it all the way to a small town sitting right on what used to be the Eclipse-Dusk border- a fair distance from where I had left... Things got harder after that. I was able to live off what I had for a bit, but pretty soon I was clean broke, and had to live off of what I could get people to give me. I had shelter off and on, and no house was permanent. I was able to make some cash for a few magic demonstrations, but it was only just enough to survive off of, and even that soon began to abandon me.

"I went on as long as I could, but soon it just became too much to bear, and I ended up slumped against a random building, hopeless. I was tired, hungry, dirty, and- on top of all that- it was raining. Yep, things looked pretty hopeless right then. I was just about ready to give up, and let whatever was going to happen to me happen, when..."

"When a tall, ludicrously handsome, charismatic gentleman approached her." Xekora interrupted with a grin.

Trixie grinned right along with him and shook her head at his self-portrait. "Sure, we'll go with that. Anyway, yeah, he came up to me, and just asked what I was doing on the street. I looked up at him, wondering what he was trying to pull. All this time, he was the first one to take any notice of me sitting there, and he seemed to calm about it too. I told him 'nothing, just sitting around waiting to die, how about you?' He looked at me more closely, I guess to re-evaluate me from what he had seen before.

"I asked if he needed anything, or if he just wanted to stand there and block the rain- in which case, please, be my guest. He lowered himself to a crouch, bringing himself to my eye level, and said: 'You're the sister of that girl Celestia's been training, aren't you?' I looked at him funny, as could be expected, and asked how he knew that. He told me he'd been keeping an eye on things that had been going on, and that it was very unfortunate what had happened to me. He said that it was only partly my parents fault, and that Celestia, asking for them to give Twilight up, was the root of the problem.

"I started to see his point- in the situation, my parents could have chose to act as they did or fight- but in the end, it was still Celestia that had robbed me of my sister. I experienced a surge of anger for just a moment: then stopped, deflated as I was before. It all just looked so pointless from the street, in the rain, and over the sound of my stomach. But what he told me next definitely caught my attention.

" 'You're not alone, you know. Countless others have had their lives destroyed by the Queen, and want them back. You're not the first, young one, nor, unfortunately, will you be the last. However... You could make a difference, and see to it that no one else has to live like this.' I just stared at him, wide eyed. He sure knew what I wanted to hear. 'You could well be the spark that starts a revolution against her. And I, while sworn to stay on the sidelines, could at least house you and ready you for the challenges ahead.'

"He held out his hand to me, a sympathetic but excited smile on his face. 'I can make you powerful enough to take on the Queen.'... I don't really know why I did what I did that day, but I'd do it again. Maybe it was out of desperation, of wanting anything to believe- maybe it was because I was too tired, and just wanted whatever would come to me to come and take me- or maybe I truly believed what he was saying. Whatever the reasons, I took his hand and let him help me up."

Xekora took over the story from here. "For the record, it was obvious to anyone who cared to look that this girl had some serious potential- I thought it a shame to waste such skill, especially when we needed great fighters like her to face the queen. I took her into my own home- I was living near that town at the time, completely undercover- brought her back up to health, and showed her the world as best I could. Years passed, her magic skill flourished under my vast knowledge (and pile of magic-related stuff), and I basically did my best to set her up with all the tools she'd need in the future.

"When she was fourteen, I felt she was truly ready to go- to take on the world again, and to try and get things stirred up for a proper resistance. I set her up with some money, some hand-me-down weapons and armor, and sent her on her way. Meanwhile, I picked up shop and moved all my belongings here, to get a better vantage point for when things really get going."

**Chapter Thirty Seven**

**House of the Hylian**

**Twilight**

Her mind raced in circles as the story spiraled out of control, and she had no idea what was happening. From Dash- sure, she had expected to hear some reason about why he hated Celestia, as he had made no secret about it before. She hadn't known this Xekora character long enough to make any judgements about his allegiance, so it didn't come as so much a shock when she learned he opposed her as well.

But to hear Spike say again and again that he didn't trust Celestia, that he was only looking out for Twilight and would abandon the throne in an instant- she had never suspected anything like that from him, and couldn't imagine what she was supposed to think about it. Then even her own twin sister- Twilight had begun to question her morals and motives for a time now, but while they had only just reunited not a month previously, she had grown close to the mage, and felt sure that she could trust her. And Trixie only wanted revenge on Celestia for taking away her picture-perfect childhood, a notion which seemed understandable but obsessive to Twilight.

And then, on top of all that, even Phil had come out and said it- Celestia had killed his parents and taken him away from whatever life he might have had, and he clearly wasn't happy about it. All this time, Twilight had never really given it much thought- this was the way things were, and she was happy as she was. She felt like the world she thought she knew was falling apart before her eyes- everyone was turning against the Queen, one by one, and Xekora had put the icing on the cake: this whole thing, bringing them closer as a team to be able to fight the enemy, was all to put them in the middle of a rebellion against Celestia!

Twilight put her head in her hands, overwhelmed and unable to piece together what she should do. She never would have thought of opposing the Queen, and the thought terrified her. All her life, she had looked up to Celestia as a wise and noble person and ruler, and had never been given any reason to suspect anything different.

The people weren't happy with her: they were scared to say otherwise.

She had thought all her life that life was good. Spike was always there to look out for her, Phil was the absolute best friend she could ever have asked for, and now she had all these new friends to support her. She had imagined what could have been with all of them, if they had all just lived their lives together...

None of them were interested. They were all just biding their time until they could strike out against Celestia. And now they fully expected her to join them.

A lump formed in her throat, and tears began to rise to the surface unbidden. _What is there left for me to trust?_ She thought despairingly. _There's no way I could turn on the Queen, is there...? And anyway, even if I did, what good would it do? She'll kill them all! There's no way anyone can stand against her... But I don't know if I can change their minds, not when they're all worked up about it like this... Oh, what am I supposed to do...?_

She could barely think straight over the clamor of opposing thoughts in her mind, and she couldn't stop herself from finally breaking. A small sob escaped from her throat- not enough for most of the others to hear, but just enough for Phil to catch. Quickly and quietly he pulled her up off her seat and led her away from the clearing, waving away anyone who asked what was going on.

When they were a suitable distance from the others, he turned her around and tilted her head up slightly to face him. Twilight could tell he was concerned, even through her teary eyes. "Twilight, what happened? What's wrong?" He asked, barely above a whisper.

"Phil... I just- I don't know what to do..."

He sighed- not at all exasperatedly, but just at a loss for words. "I'm sorry. I didn't want you to find out like this... I had planned to show you these things slower, not hit you with it all at once... But I think, even how it did work out, you should do what you believe to be right. And I promise- I'll be there to protect you no matter what you choose to do."

She looked to the ground, unsure of what to say. For some time she said nothing, and the two remained where they were. Finally Twilight spoke in a whisper, though regretted instantly what she said: "Why can't I be strong like you..."

Phil only took a moment to reply, though he still spoke softly. "Twilight... If there's one thing I've learned all this time, it's that strength isn't cutting off all your emotions- it's controlling and following them that counts. It's not-never needing help, it's about being able to ask for help when you need it, and having friends there for you that will give it."

Twilight sniffed and looked up at him. "Wow, that was cheesy." She said with a slight giggle. Phil reluctantly agreed, and ended up laughing along with her.

"C'm on, let's head back. The others are bound to be wondering where we went by now. Don't worry about it too much right now; it'll be a while before anything happens anyway, so you've got time to think. And like I said, I'll find a way to protect you no matter what happens."

Twilight smiled and nodded, genuinely feeling a bit better. The two shared a quick, tight hug, and made their way back to the clearing.

A few minutes later, after some conferring and discussion, Spike joined the pair to bring the next part of the story underway.

**Year 490**

**Town of Firefly**

**Spike**

The three of us made our way in no particular hurry through the small but well-kept streets. I had brought Twilight and Phil to this tiny town sitting just inside the borders of old Dusk, the border that once separated it from Dawn, as kind of a field trip. As apprentices to the queen, part of what they were meant to do was to be able to join with the normal townspeople, and to have the ability to gain their trust and take control of the situation in the case of an emergency.

To them, this was for them to become heroes to the country, to become well known and friendly with everyone they could, and keep Equestria safe. To me, ever the pessimist, I saw clearly that Celestia could use either of them in an instant as informants to anyone she wanted watched by having them do this. However, I kept up the act anyway for a third perspective:

By showing them the right places at the right times, I could make the duo begin to question whether or not the Queen was really as grand as she claimed, and would have them believe. I didn't aim to have them hate the Celestia right off the bat, but I hoped that I could keep a balance, and help them keep an open mind until such a time as it was necessary. I admit it wasn't the most ambitious of plans, but it was all I felt safe doing without drawing the Queen's attention to my ulterior motives. Were it just my life on the line, I'd have tried a straight-up assassination years ago- but it wasn't just my life I had to think about.

Celestia knew full well that I was as good as a father to these two kids, and wouldn't abandon either of them for the world. While Phil had arrived a few months after Twilight, I still felt the same about both of them. I had watched them grow up together, and had been right there with them every step of the way. At first, I had never thought I had what it took to be a parent- as that is by then what I considered myself- and maybe I never really did.

Growing up in Goldoa, things were much more laid back- and why wouldn't they be? When you live for more than a thousand years, you don't need to rush too much. I had nothing to go on in terms of how they should have been raised, with such comparatively short lifespans, and most of what I did was guesswork. I suppose it's never really _easy_, but seeing the two of them as they were- intelligent, empathetic, yet fun-loving- I knew I must have been doing something right.

She also knew that I wasn't stupid; I would figure out that she knew all this, and realize that no drastic course of action could be taken without endangering them. For the time being, I was stuck where I was. As I said, I had taken the two to this small town for a trip, specifically for those reasons. This town barely made a mark on any maps, and I hoped to show them how things worked in a smaller, closer knit, less wealthy community.

Sadly, it seemed it wasn't meant to be. As I led them through the street, an explosion that sounded as though it was more loud than destructive echoed from somewhere up ahead. The three of us- as well as everyone else- stopped short, taking a moment to register what had just happened. Most everyone else began to panic and run off, save for me and the kids. I looked to them, and they looked back, wearing identical expressions of mixed apprehension and excitement.

"Guess we picked a great day to come here, didn't we? This is exactly the situation you've been training for. Stay behind me. Only move if I give you the O-K. I'll lead the way on this one." They both nodded in understanding, and I took off at a brisk pace towards the place where most people were running from.

I came to a halt at a street corner, sidling up to a building and motioning for them to do the same. Satisfied that they would be well out of sight, I poked my head around the corner, and saw what I was looking for. Several townspeople who hadn't had the good fortune of being able to flee were standing nervously in the town square, across the way from a rather large group of people with various weapons. By the looks of things, the larger group were a bandit group of some kind, attempting to give their demands to the mayor, who led the group of townspeople.

I was surprised by how well-armed the bandits were, though. None of their weapons seemed fancy or expensive, but there were a fair number of them and they all had some kind of blade or tome. Where they came into that amount of weapons and membership, I couldn't guess. I readied my knives, ready to jump in if violence broke, but remained where I was and tried to listen in to what was being exchanged between the two parties.

"... What will it take to make you believe me?" The mayor said, sounding tired and out of options. "I don't care how badly you want them or hurt us, I can't turn over people I don't have."

"You'll have to excuse me if I don't instantly believe you, good mayor." The leader of the bandits replied, in a strange drawling accent- I couldn't put my finger on it, but I thought I might have heard it before, but on a different voice. "Our information is not known to be guesswork- they were scheduled to be here today, this I know to be fact. And our relations with you and your inner circle have never been on the... best of terms."

The mayor threw his arms out in an exasperated gesture. "What would you have me do, Vomora? Yes, they were expected today, but the fact remains that they have not made themselves present to me!"

Vomora, the apparent ringleader of the bandits, lapsed into silence. It was too far away and around the corner for me to make out any definitive details on any of them, but I imagined him rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Finally he spoke again, and my mind began working faster at his next words. "Well then, mayor. If the Queens lapdogs haven't come to you, then surely they're merely somewhere else in town, wouldn't you say? I'm sure you wouldn't mind if we took a look for ourselves."

**Chapter Thirty Eight**

**Twilight**

Spike looked back to us, showing that he was just as curious as we were. We could hear well enough from where we were to get the message: This Vomora character was looking for us, and he didn't sound at all friendly. Spike gave us a silent signal to stay put, and rounded the corner casually. I looked to Phil, we both nodded, and crept up to the edge of the building to see what was happening.

"You wanted to find me?" He said loud and clear, drawing the immediate attention of the whole crowd. He strolled right up to the edge of the crowd, an equal distance from both parties. "I'm right here. Can I help you with something, good sir?" He directed his question at the leader of the bandits, who was silent and observant of this new development. The rest of his men shifted excitedly, and the whole of the townspeople (fifteen of them at most still remained now, as some had been gradually sneaking away during the conversation) seemed generally unsure of what direction the event would soon take.

"Ah, yes, the Queen's most trusted Goldoan sell-sword. Spike, was it? How kind of you to oblige us all with your presence. Though I expected the whole entourage- Where are those two little pets of the Queen's?" I frowned. Vomora kept referring to us as lapdogs or pets to the Queen- it was obvious he didn't think very highly of us, or Celestia for that matter. But why did he want to find us then? What did he want from this, and why was he willing to hold the town hostage to get it?

"Her apprentices, you mean? They're around. But I'm sure I will be more than enough to answer whatever questions you had for them." Spike countered sharply. He was walking a dangerous line here, but seemed to be playing his cards carefully.

Vomora, on the other hand, didn't seem to be hard pressed to be careful, and his quick responses coupled with his slow, accented voice portrayed him to be perfectly in control of every situation. "I don't mind saying this, sell-sword- the path you've chosen to take shocks and disgusts me. How you could trade your lineage and honor to serve such a tyrant as Celestia is beyond my ability to fathom... But I digress. You say the children are in town? Men, find them immediately."

I looked back to Phil, who shared the look of disbelief and panic I felt. "What do we do?" He mouthed.

I made a snap decision, and didn't have time to consider whether running away would have worked better. I motioned for him to follow me, and ran out from our hiding place and to Spike's side. I skidded to a halt next to him, and Phil followed bewilderedly after, coming to a stop at his other side. I tightened my fingerless gloves slightly. "Right here." I said. "And I don't intend to let you keep talking about the Queen that way."

For the first time, I was able to get a good look at the bandit leader- but it took me a moment to identify him as such. He was rather clean cut, and his clothes, while not particularly engaging, looked brand-new and proper. He was handsomely tanned and muscular, and steely grey hair whipped across his steely grey, calculating eyes.

What stood out most about him was the fact that he didn't appear all the way human- a fluffy tail that brushed the ground idly at his back and pointed animal ears atop his head identified him as something else. I remembered something Spike had mentioned once, about a tribe of Beast Laguz that lived in the far away country of Hatari, who bore resemblance to- and could transform into- wolves. A secluded race that often kept to themselves, they did not often venture out of their homeland, and Spike rarely remembered their mention in lessons.

And yet this man, this leader of the bandits out for them, was a Hatarian if I'd ever seen one, which I hadn't until now. _How did he get here?... Perhaps he was a bit like Spike, and shipwrecked here years ago. But did he know of Equestria, or was it by accident? And what does he want to do here?_

"So." Spike said, giving both of us a quick nod. "Here they are. I'll ask again, can I help you with something?"

Vomora clasped his hands together, smiling widely. "Indeed you can, sir. Allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Vomora, leader of this small but determined band of brothers, refugees and castaways. I found myself the sole survivor of a humble crew many a year ago, and wandered the land for a great deal of time. What I saw was a world in the cusp of sickness- the weakening of the body before the fever of rebellion, if you will.

"I soon found myself to be not as alone as I had first thought- many others were without family or home, even with this as their homeland. These people had nothing, either from never having it or having it taken away, all because of their 'exalted leader'. They were without purpose or hope, living only on their anger and hatred, surviving solely to find their one chance to take a stab back at their Queen. I resolved to let these injustices stand no longer- I spoke to every broken heart, every crushed dream, shattered soul that Celestia had left for dead.

"I brought the tattered remnants together, and now we stand as a stronger, united force. Now, piece by precious piece, we're going to take back what rightfully belongs in the hands of the people- starting..." He put his foot forward and pointed at us dramatically, "With taking out her most powerful weapons!"

His words were met with a resounding cheer from his men, who clearly thought very highly of him. Spike, however, only ran a hand over his head idly as he waited for the noise to die down, making him out to be much calmer than I felt. When the clamor fell away, he responded simply: "That's a nice thought. Real entertaining. As a rebuttal- not happening, not today. Take your men and go home, friend, and I'll pretend I didn't hear any of that. Otherwise..." He flexed his shoulders threateningly, a gesture which seemed to have more of an impact on Vomora himself than anyone else.

"You mistake me for a man of weaker willpower, sell-sword. We all knew a clash would ensue when we started this venture. I am aware of your strength, and we are all fully ready to take all of you on. Now enough small talk."

Spike shook his head, smiling slightly. "I warned you. Watch carefully, you two." He stepped forward, threw back his head in a roar, and slammed together his fists in front of him. A bright light shrouded him completely for a moment, until something else entirely stepped out in his place.

It stood a solid fifteen feet tall, with violet body scales and a few green ones running from the back of his head all the way down its spine, all the way to the large, deadly-looking end of its tail. A rather smallish pair of leathery wings flared out behind it, but didn't look like they could have done much for the giant dragon they were attached to. But I saw it in its eyes, still the same emerald green as before, and knew it was still Spike underneath.

He rolled his head back quickly and launched a small jet of white flame forward, though it only served to land in the center of the clearing and intimidate. The rest of the townspeople by now had had quite enough of this, and the few that were left all ran for it.

Behind him, Vomora's band of ragtag rogues were suddenly active, unnerved and frightened by the monster they now faced. "Worry not, men. He is but one Goldoan- and while powerful in the extreme... he is still but one. We outnumber them twenty-to-one, and twenty men is more than enough to match up against one Dragon."

Phil and I both knew a fight was inevitable, so we both prepared as well. I readied a small but potent fire spell in both hands, putting my head down and arms out, ready to charge. Phil leapt into the air and made the transformation into Phoenix, hovering in the air close to Spike. Tensions were rising fast, and both sides looked ready to jump at each others throats.

Vomora however remained mostly calm, if a bit more curious than before. "One of the Queen's apprentices is a Laguz?" He said, sounding genuinely interested. "Some kind of fire-hawk hybrid, at that. Well, this is an unexpected development... I think now would be an optimal time to unveil our own new weapon." An excited murmur ran through the crowd, and a few men near the back rushed off, presumably to go fetch this 'weapon'. Whatever it was, it sounded both admired and feared.

Vomora put his hands behind his back and stalked forward, setting the stage for whatever was soon to happen. I had to admit, I was extremely nervous. I didn't know what these bandits were capable of, what they were willing to do, or what they had in store for us. The fact that they wanted to kill us was nerve-wracking enough, without all the suspense.

"Tell me, Spike..." He started, looking his way with his hard, calculating eyes. "Do you fear the unknown? Does what you don't know... hurt you? Is your mind able to accept what your eyes can't explain?"

Spike growled and stepped forward threateningly, with the expected result from the crowd of bandits. While Vomora felt they had the situation under control, and seemed more comfortable staring down a dragon, his men had clearly never seen anything of the like before. "Don't waste your breath with mind-games!" Spike barked, his voice oddly distorted by the new shape of- and number of teeth in- his mouth. "If you want to fight us, then just do it!"

Vomora laughed, a haunting and yet relaxing sound. "Then behold- Chaos." He motioned wide as a small figure was led through to the front of the crowd. It appeared to be a girl, and couldn't have been much older or younger than I was- but that was about the extent of what I could see from here. An extremely basic brown cloak masked all other features, and she stood emotionlessly as she faced us. One of the bandits moved towards her and handed her an unadorned iron spear, and she took it in both hands morosely.

"The girl you see before you is a wonder of the world, a curiosity and danger. Any law of physics, of probability... of logic... she can and will blatantly disregard. To try and understand the ways of Chaos is both a futile and maddening effort. Her ways cannot be truly understood, and one can hardly even describe them. They say seeing is believing, but you may soon find yourself questioning whether or not you can believe what you see..."

Without any further delay, Vomora backed up to his troops, and gave the command to charge.

**Year 498**

Twilight remembered vividly what had happened that day. The fight itself was enough, but it was also the first time she had been exposed to the other side of Equestria- the side that didn't follow Celestia, and wanted to see her fallen. Such a change of pace was something she had never even considered, and every moment of it had stuck firm in her mind.

But as she was telling the story, she had noticed something strange. When she got to the part about Chaos, Pinkie had assumed a confused expression, and as she had finished retelling what Vomora had said, all the color had drained from her face, and for the first time since Twilight had known her, she looked genuinely... scared?

She made a decision and stopped the story for a moment, to the confusion of Spike and Phil, who hadn't seemed to have yet noticed. She didn't immediately ask what was wrong, as she could see Pinkie understood she was concerned.

Pinkie looked away, seeming at a loss for words (another first). "Twi, I... I think I might be part of this story too... I'm... I was... Chaos."

**Chapter Thirty Nine**

**Year 490**

**Phil**

Vomora gave the order to charge, and the whole gathering burst into action. I was immediately caught up in combat, several bandits going straight for me. Still in phoenix form and much better at flying, I corkscrewed high into the air just as they approached me, then took a nosedive and released a burst of flame as I reached them again. The impact sent several reeling. I zipped forward before they could react, slicing effectively with beak and talons, and taking apart their defenses with the occasional fire spell.

I counted a total of nineteen people attacking me, and while many had sustained considerable wounds already, none seemed willing to give up. Their actual fighting ability was varied- some seemed like better fighters than the royal army could brag about, while others fought like they had never touched a weapon in their life- but they all shared the same bloody-minded determination to take me down, and fought accordingly.

I soon found myself overwhelmed- I didn't want to kill any of these people, as their cause was one I didn't entirely disagree with, and I sympathized with them being angry that Celestia had taken everything from them. I only wanted to rough them up enough for them to get out of here and to safety, so they could rethink their course of action to one less self-suicidal, but it seemed nothing short of knocking them out would deter them from this mission. I couldn't fight off all of them alone, not when trying to avoid giving them serious injury, so slowly I ended up getting pushed further away from the square as I worked away defensively.

I quickly changed back to human form to maneuver more easily through the streets, and swung back around the corner Twilight and I had been hiding behind minutes ago. Pressing myself against the wall, I allowed another fire spell to flare up in my palm. When the first of the bandits rounded the corner a moment later, I tossed it to the ground, sending a wave of flame and heat cascading over the rest of the party. A small, thin sword clattered to the ground before me, and on a whim I picked it up. I had been trained mainly to use hand-to-hand combat (buffed with magic), but had touched base with other basic weapons, and decided a sword was the better choice for this fight.

But as soon as I grabbed the sword I was on the move again, dodging away from their weapons and throwing the occasional spell as I ran. I ducked into an alleyway, hoping to lure them in and fight them one at a time, but I waited for some time without being pursued. _Where'd they go? Did they go around to the other end to try and cut me off?_ I turned around to check, but saw no sign of them there either. _Surely they didn't just get bored with me and go after Twi or Spike? Maybe they decided to pull back after all... _

I waited until I was sure they weren't coming, then slowly crept out from the alleyway back the way I had come. I poked my head out, looking in the direction of the town square, and still saw none of the bandits, save the ones occupied with fighting Spike. Thoroughly confused, I stepped out, looked behind me as more of an afterthought...

And spun around wildly, sword gripped tightly in both hands. Only a few yards away stood the one they called Chaos. She was maybe an inch taller than I was, a faint indifferent frown visible under her hood, spear poised behind her. I could see there was no point in trying to hide again- she would have seen me for sure by now. _Could that be why the other bandits dropped me? To get out of the way and let Chaos take me by herself? _

I was forced to assume this was the reason, because she didn't allow me any further time to think about it. In the blink of an eye she was upon me, swinging the long staff-like weapon wildly and blindingly fast. I dodged backward to avoid her first shot, then deflected the second with the stolen sword. The weapon flew up from around the blade and smacked me in the side, leaving a small slice on my wing in the process. Before I could react again, a fourth hit came from the back of the spear, hitting me square in the side of my head and sending me reeling.

I fell to the ground, rolled onto my back and blocked a downward slice, the sound of her spear tip and my sword colliding echoing menacingly around the deserted street. I could see her teeth barred slightly, and could tell that most opponents never made it this far- a fact that didn't bode well for me. I rolled away quickly, the spear tip slipping past and slamming into the pavement.

I made a snap decision, unfurling my wings and jumping high into the air, coming to rest atop a four-story building. My right wing burned horribly from the wound she had given me, and my head was still throbbing, but it was better than staying on the ground. I peeked over the edge, and saw she still stood in the center of the road, watching me. _Good. I might have bought myself a few minutes to get away from her. Man, they weren't kidding, this thing's unstoppable..._

But with mounting horror, I realized I had even less time than I had thought. She ran up to the edge of the building and _started running up the side, without grabbing hold of anything. _Even if I was able to comprehend what I was seeing, I didn't have nearly enough time to try. She swung over the edge a moment later and charged me again, the spear humming as it spun in dizzying circles over her head.

I backed up quickly, backflipping away from the sweeping strikes of her weapon. As I landed near the edge, I fired a powerful burst of fire at her, striking her in the stomach mid-charge. She flew back limply, but landed on her own feet at the other edge. The cloak smoldered slightly, but didn't look like it had delivered a serious burn. Her hood had fallen in the process, and I was now able to see her striking blue eyes staring back at me, standing out even more against her long, fluffy magenta hair.

I realized now more than ever that this girl couldn't have been any older than I was. Her abilities aside, why was she doing this? How did she come to be nothing more than a weapon in the hands of this questionable prophet-like Vomora? Did she even understand what she was doing, or was she just shoved in the right direction, fighting whatever she was told to fight?

_In a way... I suppose she's just like me. Maybe there is a better way out of this._ With renewed purpose, I leapt backward as she ran at me again, allowing my wings to unfurl and glide me to the ground. Chaos was right on my tail, jumping clear off the building and landing on her feet, the impact sending several loose chunks of cobblestone flying. She lifted her head to face her enemy...

And assumed a confused expression as she watched me place the sword on the ground and raise my hands in the air, a clear act of surrender and peace. "I don't want to fight." I added. "Please, hear me out. I want to ask you something."

"What..." Chaos started, unsure of what was happening. "What do you mean? You're the Queen's servant, you're supposed to fight me!"

"I don't want to fight." I insisted. "I am the Queen's apprentice, yes, but I don't want to fight for her. You've been told she's evil?" A hesitant nod. "Well, that much is right. She's bad and something needs to be done. But hurting others isn't the way, and I don't think Vomora quite knows what the way is, either."

"But... Vomora saved all those people. He knows the Queen is bad, and he's trying to fight her."

"But at what cost?" I replied, hoping my leap of logic would get through to her. "As far as I've seen, he's only using these people, and doesn't have much regard for their safety- at the very least, this is true for you." I took a chance and moved closer to her, away from the sword, and she didn't move to stop me. "How did he get you to join him?"

"I... I don't know..." She said, now avoiding any eye contact. "For as long as I can remember, it's been this way..."

"I know. I'm the same way. Celestia took me away from my family when I was too small to fight back, and trained me to be a weapon for her." Chaos looked up at me, surprised. "I've learned to fight, but she can't make me believe what she's doing is right. And if Vomora wants to stop her, he shouldn't be doing the same thing she is."

**Spike**

I brought my twin knives to bear, blocking and throwing back an attack. Most of the bandits had fallen away from the main combat to recover or fight elsewhere. I noted with satisfaction that Twilight was holding up quite well against her attackers across the clearing. Thankfully, the town militia had _finally _decided to jump into the action, and many of the bandits were now occupied with them. I twirled my weapons at my sides, looking around for another opponent, and turned right into Vomora himself. He stood, arms folded, in the dead center of the clearing, watching me, slightly annoyed.

"Allow me the chance to try and understand your motivation." He said, stalking around me slowly. "You are a full-blooded Goldoan dragon- your strength in Equestria is unmatched by any mortal being. You were surely raised no differently than any other Goldoan, so it boggles the mind that you would choose Celestia's of all sides to ally yourself with! Surely you can't seriously believe all the lies she's been spouting? Surely your moral code can make it clear she's the enemy? So tell me- why? Why become her slave as you have, when you could have made her life that much more difficult instead?"

I allowed myself a quick glance to make sure Twilight was still occupied, then said in a low voice: "Who says I have given myself up completely to her? Answer me this- is it beyond reason to think I may only be biding my time here? Is it impossible that I'm waiting for the pristine moment to take the kids and turn full-force against her? Is it too much of a stretch to say I'm aware of her atrocities, and one day do intend to do something about it?"

He cocked his head, his eyes gleaming deviously, but the rest of his face remained only curious. "You're telling me these things are true, then?"

"I'll cut you a deal." I said flatly. "Your men are getting murdered out here, and if you wait much longer, there won't be much left of them to lead. Take them and run- now- and I'll say that if any members of this 'unnamed bandit group' escaped, I didn't see them. Regroup and wait for a chance to do something less dangerous to yourselves."

He stopped finally, surveying the situation around him. While I had not escaped unscathed, his men all were obviously worse for the wear than me or Twilight. I hadn't seen where Phil went, but I saw plenty of burns on several injured soldiers that told me he was still fighting. Vomora sighed, defeated. "Very well. I am able to accept defeat, for now. We'll have to meet again sometime and discuss this further- not as enemies, but as fellow Laguz. As fellow men."

I was just about to nod, until I noticed the sky above him. Following my confused gaze, he looked too, and we both watched the enormous shockwave of rainbow energy raze across the cloudless sky, kicking up loose bits of everything and popping every ear as it went. His unkempt hair and tail settled a moment later, and he shook his head in wonder. "A sign if I ever did see one... Men! Gather your things, grab someone who can't walk. We're retreating to fight another day." With one final look back at me and a nod, he rounded up his troops and bounded off alongside them.

**Phil**

"But what can we do?" Chaos yelled. "What am I supposed to do if what Vomora's doing is wrong?"

"He doesn't know where you are now, does he?" She shook her head. "There you go! Run! Get out of here as fast as you can and hide! Find someplace to lay low, and find your own path! Don't let anyone tell you what to think, find your own purpose and follow it with all you've got!"

I thought all this might have been just a tad cheesy and melodramatic, but to Chaos- who I'd guessed had never seen or heard any of it before, was enthralled. "But he'll try and find me again- he wouldn't leave town without me."

I put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll make sure he's too busy worrying about his own butt to chase after yours. Like I said, I know where you're coming from. No-one deserves this fate."

She smiled, nodded, made a half-step away from me, then spun around with an excited look on her face. "Then you could come with me!" I frowned. Hadn't seen that coming. "We could both escape together, and start a resistance worth following!"

But I was already shaking my head sadly. "I can't tell you how much I'd love to, but I can't. Not yet, anyway. I'm not abandoning Twilight, the other apprentice. She doesn't feel the same way about Celestia as we do, but I think she will someday. Until then, I have to stay to protect her." It was then that the huge blast of rainbow light roared across the sky, drowning out all other noise and generally making a mess of everything around us.

As soon as I could speak and be heard again, I yelled to Chaos: "That's your cue! They'll be too confused and frightened to put up a fight! Run, and don't look back!" She nodded and took off down the street, discarding the spear along the way. I watched her disappear over the horizon, the turned around and cracked my knuckles. _One down..._ I thought as I ran back to the clearing.

**Chapter Forty**

**Year 498**

**Rainbow Dash**

"Dibs." I added simply. The story had reached a lull anyway, and I felt it was the perfect time for it. Seeing their confused looks, I clarified: "That rainbow explosion of awesomeness that saved all your butts. That was mine. Shockwave from the sonic rainboom. Total dibs."

Most everyone else chuckled at my comment, before going back to finishing the story. Spike, Phil and Twilight had nothing else to add, as they pretty much just went home after that, and nothing much else happened all the way up to the Lunar Festival. Phil then gave us the details of his escape from Eclipse, and how Xekora had found him at the end and sheltered him all this time.

Pinkie stepped up to finish her story next. "I made it pretty far after running from Firefly. I wasn't running in any particular direction for a while, so I probably could have saved a lot of time if I had. A few days after I began, I gave out somewhere in this forest and couldn't find the strength to get any further. I just kind of laid there, all depressed, and I was sure I wasn't going to make it any further. But just like in a fairy tale, just as I was about to give up all hope, I heard footsteps nearby.

"When I opened my eyes, there were two people standing over me. One of them was too tall for me to make out much detail from laying on the ground, but next to him stood a little kid, not even as old as I was then. His clothes were all this cool black and white pattern, but his shirt collar and sleeve cuffs were all red, and the whole getup was a size or two too big for him. The sun was kind of in the way, so I couldn't see his hair color or much of his face, but I did catch the gleam of a pair of sunglasses on his face for a second.

"After that I think I passed out for a while. I think I remember getting a piggy-back ride somewhere, but that might have been a dream. When I was all the way awake, I was on a couch in town hall, and realized I had been asleep there. There were some guards at first, but they figured out pretty quick I wasn't going to do anything, and it became just one guard at a time. I wasn't sure what was happening at first, but soon people started coming to see me, and I realized the mayor was trying to find a place for me to stay.

"Needless to say, it was a little weird seeing all these people wanting to really meet me, and maybe take me in. All my life before that... People always looked at me like some kind of freak, because of what I could do, and were too scared to get to know me. The only one who ever did talk to me before that was Vomora, and he... He was the worst. If I was a dangerous animal to everyone else, I was nothing but a tool to him... He let me open up to him just to set himself up as someone I could trust, but he didn't really care... I've never felt as strongly about anyone else, but I absolutely hate him.

"I spent about a week in the care of the city, until I finally got adopted by the couple who used to run the bakery. We ditched my old name right away, and I got the new name 'Pinkie'. For the first time in my life, I was able to live a normal life with them. When they had to move to another town a few years ago, I decided to take up some work myself and rent a place here. This had become my real home, and I couldn't bear to leave.

"And... I guess that pretty much brings us up to the Lunar Festival again." She finished, shrugging. "So, uh... Thank you for that." She turned to Phil as she said this. "Never actually got a chance to say that."

"No worries." He replied. "Now, er, Xekora? That wasn't you who brought her to town, was it?"

"Now what would give you that idea?" Xekora asked, then looked to both Phil and Trixie. "Ah. Right. Well, the answer is no, I had nothing to do with this one. Can't imagine who the tall fellow is, nor can I say the description of the younger one rings any bells. Clearly... the pair is trying to steal my job! I'll find them and make it clear to them that _I'm _the only one who goes around influencing events for the better around here!"

He said this with his usual good-humored voice, and I could tell he was mostly kidding about it. A longer break in the conversation ensued, in which a more substantial meal was prepared. I hadn't realized it until now, being wrapped up in all the storytelling, but it had actually gotten quite late in the day by now. My first clue was my stomach, the second was seeing the sun beginning its descent in the sky. The meal consisted of various meats from various animals he had hunted, as well as every kind of fruit I had never seen. Xekora, Trixie, AJ and Spike went to town actually turning the pile of stuff into a meal, as they were unquestionably the best cooks among us.

After eating in silence, Rarity reluctantly stood to tell her own story.

**Year 490; Icarus Manor**

**Rarity**

I rushed towards the entrance hall, past all the soldiers rapidly suiting up for battle. House Icarus had a standing force of twenty five militia men, and looked like every single one of them was getting ready for serious combat. I hadn't heard anything, and I hadn't seen any attackers through any of the windows- I had no idea what we were in for, and I had to find out.

I stumbled down the grand staircase, and saw my mother standing before the door, accepting a small object from one of the soldiers. With alarm, I realized it was none other than the house treasure, the Icarus Charm. It resembled a butterfly in shape and size, but was completely translucent, and hung from a thin silver chain. She wrapped it around her hand solemnly and nodded to the soldier, who returned to the ranks forming in the hall. Indeed, it seemed House Icarus was going to battle.

"Mom!" I yelled, running up to her. "Mom, what's happening? Who are we up against?"

She turned slightly to face me. "Rarity! I thought you were asleep."

I shook my head simply. "Got woken up by the soldiers outside my room."

She shook her head quickly. "Nothing you need worry about, dear. A battle is underway at Trottingham, and Houses Leo and Icarus have been called to the fight to aid the local forces. United, the attackers won't stand a chance."

I was only slightly relieved. There would be backup to cover them, but the fact remained that they were going to go risk their lives. "I want to go along. I've learned more than enough swordsmanship skills to deal with a few bandits."

Frustratingly, she was already shaking her head. "I know you could help if you came along, and wouldn't be a burden to us, but with all our troops out on this mission, we need someone to stay here and guard the house. I figured you and Opal would be enough to cover it. Besides, someone needs to stay with Sweetie Belle too."

I nodded in understanding, but was still a little annoyed I wouldn't get to be part of the action. It made sense that she'd want Opal to stay- ever since she was adopted by the house six years ago, she had proven herself again and again to be a skilled fighter, and would lay down her life for the house just as any other soldier. But most other houses didn't know of her existence, and explaining away her presence- being a cat-girl and all- would have been difficult.

Mom led the troops out the door quickly, and they began to make their way towards Trottingham. Assistance from several Children of Air would shorten the journey considerably, but it would still be something of a trek. I waited until they were all out of sight before going back inside to wait with my sisters.

The night crawled by, since neither of us had much to do but wait. Sweetie Belle more or less slept through the whole thing. We tried to find something to occupy ourselves- we had a few practice duels, but our hearts really weren't in it. I managed to kill some time by tinkering with some spare bits of armor that hadn't been brought into battle (a side hobby of mine), while Opal tried to get some sleep.

I tried to keep my mind off of the battle all this time, but couldn't help but wonder how things were going. I could imagine what kind of damage my mother was doing to the bandits- with the Icarus Charm, she was likely rending them from above on the crystal-clear wings it afforded the user. At her side would likely be Rytas, head of House Leo. I had never seen their house charm in action, but I had heard of it giving the user incredible agility and strength, as well as vicious claws for battle. I could only imagine how effective that must have been.

Both Opal and I sat in the den hours later, playing a card game absently. Sweetie Belle had just been tended to again, and was sleeping peacefully in the next room. It wasn't long until morning now. I kind of envied her right then. I was about ready to call it quits and try to go get some sleep myself, when we heard someone yelling like a madman downstairs. With a quick glance, the two of us dropped everything and ran to see what it was.

I stopped, confused, at the top of the stairs, Opal continuing on. At the base of the stairs was Blake Leo, Rytas's son. He wore a small scimitar at his belt and a chain mail shirt, and was currently trying to catch his breath. He wasn't a very imposing individual- always an inch or so short for his age and more on the skinny side. He wore a pair of wired glasses, and had dark, messy, navy-blue hair that reached down to his shoulders. Something caught the glint of torchlight in his hand, but I couldn't tell what it was from where I was.

"Blake! What are you doing here? What happened?" Opal interrogated him. He had clearly rushed here as fast as he could, but I wasn't sure from where. Considering when he had arrived, my first guess was that he had been in the battle at Trottingham and had come here for us.

When he regained his breath and spoke, he shot down my first theory. "I ran here as fast as I could, from home. I've been going pretty much non-stop since this evening to get to you in time. Please, we have to hurry to Trottingham quick! Before it's too late to stop him!"

"Blake, calm down. You're not making any sense." Opal said, trying to figure out what was wrong.

My eyes widened and my heart raced as fast as he must have at his next words: "It's my dad! He's going to try to kill Cybel!"

**Chapter Forty One**

**Year 490; Icarus Manor**

**Rarity**

"What?" I yelled, descending the stairs again. I stopped right in front of Blake, Opal standing to the side nervously. "How do you know?"

Blake looked up at me, and in one look I could tell he wasn't lying. Our respective houses may not have been terribly close, but the two of us had been friends for ages. We were both around the same age, and getting tangled up in things that didn't concern us was a favorite pastime. But most importantly, I had learned to read him like a book, and knew that he was sure of what he was saying.

"I overheard him talking about it to the guard captain- I think they were the only two who were supposed to know about it. He said he wants his soldiers to position themselves around the enemy in a way that dad can kill her quickly, then make it look like someone else did it. He's even going to swipe her Charm and replace it with a replica."

Opal paced around us annoyingly. "The two have never liked each other, that much is obvious. Especially after that whole Goldoa fiasco a few years back nearly cost him his life and position. Makes sense he'd blame Icarus for it. And if he's going to make a move for the Charm, I can see he aims to topple Icarus as a whole and absorb the house, the power-hungry bastard."

Blake nodded to all of this. "I made a break for it as soon as I could- he should have no idea I'm not asleep in my room. When I passed Trottingham on my way here, the attackers were still only impeded by the locals, so we should still have a chance to stop him."

Opal and I agreed immediately, and we descended to the armory to prepare as best we could. I got a few bits of armor together- a chest plate, some arm and knee guards and a buckler- as well as my rapier. Opal slipped on some chain mail and called it done, and we dashed back to the foyer.

We were halfway out the door when Opal stopped, hitting herself in the head. "Agh, we need someone to stay behind for Sweetie Belle... Gimmie a sec." She dashed outside for a moment, scanning the streets, then spotted someone making their way through in no particular rush. "Hey! Lyra, get over here! I need you for something!"

The figure, a girl of about sixteen who lived in town, and I had met a few times, looked our way for a moment before coming up to meet us. Opal knew her better, thankfully. "You and Octavia wanna keep an eye on Sweetie Belle for a while? We've got a murder to stop."

Lyra winced slightly, but then nodded. "I'll do it. Tavi's not really in much shape to... do anything, really, right now. Just had a bad breakup. I can handle things for a few hours. Where are you-"

She didn't get to finish asking her question, because the three of us were already on the move out to the edge of town. When we hit it, Opal looked around for a moment. "How'd you get here? I'm not seeing anyone with wind magic or anything."

Blake strode up to us. "I told you, I ran here." He held up his hand, and I saw with surprise the Leo Charm wrapped around his knuckles. It resembled a crude image of a lion, with golden fur and a red mane, and was translucent just like the Icarus Charm. "Decided to steal one of dad's ideas and swipe the real thing, leaving him with a fake. He's probably figured it out by now, but I was able to get away before he noticed anything."

With a grin, he slid the chain over his head, and a quick change took place in his body. A tail, with fur the same color as his hair, sprouted from his lower back, and his ears became pointy as they migrated to a position atop his head. His knuckles swelled slightly, and I could imagine claws springing forth from them. The transformation only took a second, so I guessed this wasn't his first time using the charm. With his new features, coupled with the low and springy stance he took, I had to admit he looked rather cute.

I never got the chance to tell him that, though. Opal threw her arms back with a small roar, and a flash of light replaced her with a large white cat. I wasn't sure what kind of cat she resembled, but she was far from a tiny house cat. She was big enough- and I small enough- that I was able to slip onto her back and ride without hindering her speed too much. I did so, and she and Blake took off at a run. Blake, surprisingly fast in this form, led the way to the battle, alternating between running on two legs and all fours.

As we ran, he filled us in on what the fighting was all about- apparently it was all one huge snapping point for two other houses- one based in Trottingham, the other an invader seeking to conquer the house. The home team was holding up well so far, being able to fight without endangering themselves too much, as well as having assistance from various volunteers in town. However, the attackers had them beat in raw numbers and strength, and they knew they couldn't hold out forever in a one-on-one battle. So as soon as they were sure fighting would ensue, they called for help from Leo and Icarus, their two closest neighbors.

I could see Rytas's plan unfolding before me- he wanted to throw the four houses into utter chaos, and come out on top of the situation himself. It didn't matter how the battle really went, his plan would set it up so that one of the other two houses would have appeared to done the deed, severing the head of Icarus. While attacking and absorbing another house was an act frowned upon but not usually punishable, the defenders would be punished brutally for betraying someone they called upon for help, and the attackers would surely be crippled after being repelled. Either way, Icarus would be in disarray after the fact, and Rytas would be the one to pick up the pieces.

Fueled by panic and rage at the lengths that this man was willing to go, I prepared myself for whatever was to come. I understood what his plan was, but the question now was what our plan would be. By the sounds of it, this was going to be a brutal battle, and we'd have to dive into the middle of it to get to mom. The sun was making its trek across the sky, but we didn't stop for food. We were all too nervous to eat, and had precious little time anyway.

After a painful wait, the outline of Trottingham finally became visible on the horizon. My heart raced, and I could feel the tension in both of my companions. Whatever was going to happen, was going to happen soon.

As we got closer, it became apparent that a battle was hard underway. Even this as far as we still were from the city walls, stray arrows and blood littered the grass. The echoes of colliding steel and the odd explosion could be heard, and Children of Air could be seen battling it out above the city. Clearly we weren't too late, but for how long?

We cautiously peeked around the edge of the gateway leading into the city, and realized our mission was going to be harder than we thought. The battle seemed to be reaching its peak, with the four small individual armies all giving their final push at each other. Blake tore the Leo Charm off quickly, wrapping it around his hand again and shaking his head. His features rapidly returned to normal. "Thing drains your strength after a while. I doubt I could keep it up much longer like this, let a lone in battle. So... What's our plan?"

Opal rose from her crouch where she had been thinking, and spoke sharply. "Don't stop moving. Keep close to me and don't engage anyone. Shields up. Someone give me a some weapons." We looked around for a second and handed her a discarded shield and a bloodied sword. She equipped them both properly, then began scanning the chaotic crowd. Blake and I drew our own weapons and adjusted our small shields. My heart felt like it was going to burst from my chest, and I could tell by the way Blake's unoccupied fingers were flexing and un-flexing rapidly that he was just as on edge.

"There. I see them over there, by the vendor stand." Opal said abruptly, and the two of us scrambled over to the wall to see. It took a moment to find where Opal was pointing, but soon I was able to pick out the figure of my mother, still fighting viciously with her rapier. The Icarus Charm was in full effect- a pair of crystalline butterfly's wings sprouted from her back, and she darted back and fourth with sharp, stinging strikes. My heart began to slow slightly with relief. _She's still alive. We're not too late._

But like a stone dropping, like a heroic piece of music suddenly veering off with a darker, more rapid pace, I saw that on the ground was Rytas. A large shield was strapped to one arm, and the scimitar in the other zipped around him and bit into his enemies before they had a chance to block. He was low to the ground as he fought, just as animalistic even without the Leo Charm. The scimitar was a blur as it spun and swung around him, and I couldn't help but think of what he was apparently planning to do with it soon... I forced the thought out of my mind.

"On my mark, start running. We're getting right in there with them, and if worst comes to worst we'll just kill him. If not, he'll think better of it and abandon the plan, what with smarter witnesses around." She walked over to the gate, standing now in plain view of anyone who cared to look, and readied her sword. Her foot skidded back, and she was a second away from charging. Blake and I looked to each other, and I could see in his diamond-blue eyes that he was as scared as I was. He gave a terse nod and moved to Opal's far side, and I took my place on the other.

"Charge!" Opal barked, taking off like an arrow, the two heirs scrambling to keep up. She didn't slow as she collided with the crowd, mowing them down with shield before her and sword swinging in ineffectual arcs. Blake and I were right behind her now, heads down, shields up. We didn't have time to attack, but we both gripped our swords still.

We were halfway buried in troops now, a few Icarian troops noticing our presence and covering us, but all of a sudden something changed. It wasn't anything physical- soldiers were still fighting, the sounds of battle still echoed, nothing new was visible- but something in the air had definitely changed, and I was horrified. We didn't slow, we didn't change our strategy, but I could tell I wasn't the only one feeling it.

Time seemed to be gradually slowing as the crowd thinned out, and my mind was screaming at me too loud for me to gather my thoughts. All I could think of now was getting to the end, and wondering what it was I'd see when we got there. Suddenly, Opal stopped short, and I ran into her and bounced back to the ground, landing roughly. Blake skidded to a halt an inch from doing the same, and looked forward, terrified. I didn't want to, but I slowly moved my own gaze to where my companions were staring.

Just in time to see the curved, bloody sword pull out of my mother's back.

**Chapter Forty Two**

**Trottingham; Plaza**

**Rarity**

My mind locked down, and I couldn't process what I was seeing. The few agonizing seconds between events each felt like a lifetime. First the sword, bloodied to a degree that it appeared to have been born that color, flipped out of her body cleanly. She began to fall backwards from Rytas, having no remaining balance. With his sword hand, he swiped at her with two fingers, and in one quick move removed the Icarus Charm from her neck.

At last, she hit the ground roughly, a stunned expression on her lifeless face, and the reality of the situation finally hit me. _She's dead... He killed her... _All at once, everything snapped into focus, and all I could see was myself and Rytas. My grip on the rapier tightened, and I screamed his name in anger.

He turned, and looked genuinely surprised to see my small party. I expected the coward to look afraid of us, since we had ruined his plan, but instead he merely wore an expression of us being an inconvenience. I hadn't met him many times before, but there was something in his eyes that I was sure wasn't there before. Something was driving him this time, and it wasn't his own selfish, sneaky desires anymore. His eyes seemed darker, his stance lower, his face more determined and deadly.

All the intimidation in the world couldn't have stopped me then, though. He just killed my mother, and would pay with his own life for it. I was ready to charge, as were both Opal and Blake, but he spoke before any of us made a move:

"So, you pieced it together, did you? I must say, I think you made it here in record time, and for your effort, I congratulate you. Now, Blake." He made a half step forward, but stopped when he saw all three of us respond in turn. "Is this the truth of it? You've elected to betray me now, to cast your lot in with your now orphaned, utterly doomed friend? Even when you know what is at stake here?"

I looked to Blake out of the corner of my eye. From the tone Rytas used, it sounded like he knew Blake knew more than he was letting on. Blake responded with strength he didn't feel. "I'm not like you, _dad_. My thirst for power doesn't get in the way of what's right. I refuse to let you get away with such horrible ways of getting ahead in the world, and I won't abandon my friends. Sure, I want power too. But when I get it... I'll do it with my friends at my side."

"Enough of this." Opal said between clenched teeth. "You have no defense for what you've done now. We've all just seen you kill Cybel, and you're going to pay for it!" Without bothering to wait for a response, she leapt at him with sword swinging. He parried with his own sword, jabbing at her with his elbow. She flinched back slightly, and Rytas took advantage of it, swinging wide from the side. His scimitar was parried with another: Blake jumped in and blocked, spinning to get behind him. Opal's sword raised behind her, swinging in for an overhead strike.

Rytas moved faster, sticking his leg out and twisting to the side, kicking Blake clear off his feet. He rolled at the end, springing up right behind Opal, scimitar poised to strike. I made my move now- I ran up quickly, shield arm raised, and made a dive for Rytas's sword arm. His back was turned to me, so he didn't see me until I was almost on him. His sword pulled away just in time, but I got what I really wanted.

I sprung to my feet next to Blake, sword up behind me, the Icarus Charm hanging from my hand, reflecting the light from the afternoon sun. I held out my other hand to Blake, and helped him to his feet. Opal had sprung to her feet again and was keeping Rytas busy, so as one Blake and I nodded, and slipped on the two charms.

At first, there was no effect in mine, though Blake's transformation was once again immediate. He jumped back into the fray, claws and sword blazing, leaving me alone. I had never used the charm in the past, so I wasn't sure what I was supposed to feel, but I was sure it wasn't nothing. I was about to remove it and shove it in my pocket, to just keep it safe and do without, when I began to feel a sharp pain in my back. It grew rapidly, and I dropped to my knees, the pain blinding. I couldn't reach the spot on my back where it was coming from, but with a short cry it abruptly ended.

My heart raced when I opened my eyes, and saw myself silhouetted against the cobble street. To the sides of the shadow, the sunlight was beautifully distorted, pastel-y colors refracted onto the ground like shards of colored glass. I could scarcely move, but I did give an experimental twitch from my back, and I was thrilled to see the distortion move in response. _It worked... I have wings!_

I was pulled back to reality by the silence that had befallen the city. Indeed, it seemed only one fight was still going: Opals' and Blake's swords colliding with Rytas's. All the other soldiers seemed to have retreated or gone to tend to their wounded, because while many still remained to watch the final fight, none of them were fighting each other any longer.

Tearing my gaze away from my new wings, I hefted the sword again and jumped into the combat, filled with new energy. I hadn't learned to fly on the wings yet, so I was still on foot, but I still felt incredibly light and agile, and was able to move faster than I thought was possible. I thrust forward with my rapier, whipping it back quickly when Rytas made a move to block, and sliced around instead. The steel flashed past his guard and cut through his clothes, drawing blood.

The three of us kept him penned in, but he still wasn't giving in any time soon. Even with the augmented strength and speed granted to two of us, he was still able to keep up and land just as many effective hits, and even while outnumbered he held his own. He fought with a rage and determination almost inhuman, but wasn't invincible.

With a great spinning attack, he threw all three of us back, and I was launched high into the air. I soon ended up upside-down, and saw the ground rushing towards me. I uttered a silent cry, anticipating the impact ahead of me, but it never came. With a start, I realized that I was now hovering a foot off the ground, my wings keeping me bobbing gently. As soon as I was conscious of it, they stopped and I fell, but scrambled back up quickly.

Opal and Blake were pulling themselves to their feet, bruised and battered much worse than I was. Rytas stood alone in the center of the plaza, his scimitar a blur of silvery blue steel as it spun threateningly around him. None of his soldiers made a move to help him, but he didn't seem to need it: he clearly had complete control of the situation, and the three of us would not be able to overcome him like this. His original plan had been shot to pieces, but he didn't seem bothered by it any longer, and only sought to finish what he started.

I lifted the sword again, my tired arms yelling in protest, and inched closer to my enemy, the man who had killed my mother in cold blood. Seeing I was the only one left fighting, Rytas devoted his full attention to me, and the crowd watched as the two of us stared each other down. This was it. One of us wasn't walking away after this.

Screaming his name, I leapt off my feet and let my wings carry me towards him. He wasn't expecting me to launch at him like this, and he was only just able to block my first strike. I dropped to the ground an instant afterwards, and landed a successful slice at his legs. He kicked me away and dove at me, sword blazing behind him, and I rolled out of the way just as he swung at me. From my position on my side next to him, I thrust the sword right at his stomach, and grimaced as it sunk in.

Rytas screamed in rage and rolled to his feet, slamming me in the chest with his elbow in the move. I stumbled back from the impact, and wasn't able to block in time as he swung the scimitar across my front. The small chest piece I wore saved me that time, but a bloody gash still formed on my right shoulder, and the pain made me drop my sword.

The demon didn't slow down. Another strike sliced just under the chest plate, a stinging move just strong enough to draw blood. The hilt collided with my stomach, and I fell backward. He stood over me, pausing only half a second before finishing me, and in that moment I saw my life flash before my eyes. I did the only thing I could do now, and closed my eyes.

But instead of the sword coming down on my head, I heard Rytas cry out in pain. _Did Opal or Blake recover enough to stop him?_ When I opened my eyes, he had staggered back a few paces, and was clutching the shaft of something sticking out of his shoulder. It was a simple wooden object, with feathers attached to the back and a spear tip atop, making it resemble a large arrow. But with the shaft too short in comparison, I knew it couldn't have fired out of a bow. It looked more like a large throwing dart.

"Rytas..." A voice from behind me choked out, probably through clenched teeth. I doubted Rytas would be very interested in me any longer, so I risked a look back. Near the very vendor stand we had started at, mom's lifeless body in his arm, crouched a man of about nineteen or twenty years. In his other hand was some kind of leather sling, hanging in the air above him, and I knew he was the one who threw the dart. His hair, an olive green shade, was short but shaggy, save for one strand hanging long over his right shoulder, and though his eyes were shaded, I could see the glint of tears on his face.

"_Rytas!_" He screamed, his voice beyond broken. In that moment, I knew true fear: this man's rage seemed to fill the whole plaza, and the air seemed to shake with anger. Laying mom's body against the wall with extreme gentleness, he stood and faced Rytas, who was beyond terrified. From his back the man pulled a long, double-headed spear, and gripped it with both hands.

Eyes still shaded, he stalked forward, mouth twisted in an enraged grimace. Rytas wasn't an idiot, and backed away slowly, knowing he didn't stand a chance against whoever this was. Wordlessly, the man jumped forward, spear swinging in insane arcs, and Rytas's parrying sword soon flew away from his grip. The spear pulled back in slow motion, and in a heartbeat thrust forward, straight through all his armor and out the other side.

Time didn't slow this time, like it had when mom was taken. The man only waited a second before pulling the spear back out, Rytas's limp body collapsing to the street, blood pooling around him. No one else moved, only stared with eyes wide at the event we had just witnessed. For a moment, I thought the threat had passed- Rytas was gone, thanks to this stranger, and we were safe.

All that came crashing down when he spoke again, his voice shaking. He addressed the crowd as a whole, none of whom knew what to do. "I'll make you all pay for what you've done... I'm going to wipe house Leo clean _off the face of the earth for taking Cybel away from me!_"

**Chapter Forty Three**

I struggled to my feet again and made my way slowly, carefully, back towards Blake and Opal. Blake especially was trying to make himself inconspicuous. I reached the edge of the crowd just as the man stepped forward, spear whirling behind him. No one stepped forward to stop him, as they had all seen what kind of power he possessed.

Opal stepped forward cautiously, and while Blake and I tried to stop her, she left the safety of the crowd and crept into the center of the clearing. The man noticed her immediately, but made no move himself to attack her. In fact, he seemed somewhat sad to see her. All of a sudden, I recognized him: I didn't know him personally, but had seen him multiple times in town, meeting often with my mother. I had no idea who he was, really, but he obviously knew her somehow, and was incredibly distraught over her death.

The gravity of the situation- that mom was really, truly gone- finally hit me. I had been too caught up in the fight to let it fully sink in, but at that one moment I felt more alone than I ever had. I felt like sinking to my knees and just laying there, but it wasn't over yet. I had to keep it together until whatever was happening now was sorted out.

"Fafnir..." Opal began, speaking calmly and kindly, yet with a volume of control. "It's over, Fafnir. Rytas was the only one involved in this, and he's dead. The rest of Leo is innocent."

She chanced moving in closer, close enough to put her hand on his shoulder, and the man- Fafnir- still didn't make a hostile move towards her. "Killing the rest won't solve anything..." She went on, her voice barely perceptible. "Killing them... won't bring her back." The tension in the air was unbearable, but finally, slowly, the tip of the spear was lowered to the ground.

The soldiers from the house laying siege to Trottingham had retreated already, and the local house of Trottingham itself had pulled back to their manse to tend to their wounded, assess the damage to the city, and decide on their retaliatory actions. The people of Icarus and Leo drifted about in a haze, some lending a hand in repairing the wreckage of the plaza. The majority, however, simply sat at the curb in shocked silence, uncaring of who belonged to which house. They were all in the same boat- the head of both houses had been slain, and they were doing their best to try and come to terms with the fact.

Blake and I both did all we could to help along the process of repairing the market-turned-battlefield, even though the two of us were mostly ineffectual. We were really just trying to keep our minds off of what would happen next- while Blake did have an uncle on his mother's side who could assist him, he was next in line to lead Leo. And me... Opal could only be there to help me, since she wasn't tied to the house by blood, and I was the only one who could take over Icarus now.

I didn't see much of Opal for a while: I think she had taken this Fafnir person away form the crowd to speak in private. About an hour passed until she returned, and the mysterious spearman was gone. She wore an annoyed expression as she approached the two of us. "He's left town." She said upon being asked about him. "I doubt if we'll be seeing him again."

She sighed heavily, and I could tell some kind of argument had occurred between the two. "He's not strong enough to face his fate. How he can just up and kill a man like that, then shy away from what really needs to be done... Never mind. Nothing can be done for it now. Anyway... You think you two should address your people? They're still a wreck after everything, and could use some comforting words."

I nodded emptily. "I know. But... what am I supposed to tell them?"

Opal scratched her head idly, not one to give out advice. "Well... The two of you are going to be expected to take over your respective households now. You'll have help along the way, of course. But they need you to lead them, to give them direction. What they need right now is for you to tell them what's going to happen next, and what your intentions are for the future."

I lowered my head sadly, but knew she was right. I turned to Blake, and after a few minutes of quiet discussion, we stepped up to speak. The best we could find in terms of something to step up to was a wooden box, and it wasn't even particularly big, so we stood close. Both charms reflected the dulling light in our palms.

"Listen to me, everyone!" I called, drawing the attention of all the members of Icarus I could see, as well as most from Leo. "It seems... that I'm going to be leading Icarus from here on out. Our job is done here, and we'll be setting off for home in a moment, but I first want to make my stance regarding these other houses clear."

I stopped for a moment, motioning for Blake to take over. "Uh... People of Leo!" He started awkwardly. "I... I'm also obliged to take over for my house, but I want to make one thing clear right now- What my father did will not stand. His ambition quite nearly got us all killed today, and I will not follow in his footsteps... I am taking no further action against Icarus or any other house at this time, and instead merely ask for reconciliation with Icarus for what he did."

He looked to me for a response, and I nodded thankfully. "Icarus will not be taking action against Leo either." I said, stopping to motion for silence when the people immediately began protesting. "I know... I know that Lady Cybel is slain at the hands of Lord Rytas, and by extension House Leo- but Rytas was acting of his own accord in this, and the remainder of Leo is innocent. In addition, it is thanks to the new Lord Blake that I was able to expose his actions as murder, instead of his plan to make it seem like she had been slain in battle falling into place.

"For this I am very grateful, and I feel that Leo and Icarus are much closer to even ground. That, coupled with the facts that Rytas is dead, and I know I can place my trust in the new lord, makes me that much more confident that we should not pursue retribution for this day."

Blake nodded and released a held breath. "I thank you, Lady Rarity. We... we will be returning home post-haste, to recover our own strength and health after today's battle. As I said, we will be making no hostile moves towards any house for some time. And... When all this is said and done, I hope that I can offer our friendship to Icarus, and rebuild the relations that our two houses once had. No underhanded trickery this time, either. I have always thought of Icarus as the ally Rytas pretended to be allied with, and hope that we can finally, truly achieve what was previously perceived by outsiders. We always were, on the surface, allies- I intend to bring those bonds back, deeper, and make it a reality!"

His words met an energetic round of applause from his own men, and several of the men from Icarus joined in as well, though with less enthusiasm. I knew that this wasn't going to be easy for me- Icarus had lost a lot that day, and the men clearly were still angry at Leo for it, but I knew I could turn their minds around once they had a chance to calm down and recover. It would be a hard road, perhaps, but I felt I was both obligated and prepared to travel it.

"I guess this'll be the last time we see each other for a while." Blake said after the gathering was over. Both houses had drifted to opposite sides of the gates, preparing to depart, and the two of us were now virtually alone in the plaza. The sun had just dipped below the crest of the hills outside town, and the last vestiges of dusky light fell softly upon the cobble, and his face and mess of dark blue hair.

"Yeah..." Was all I could think to say. Today had been hard on both of us, and I was intensely thankful for everything he'd done, and simply for his presence. Part of me didn't want this moment to end- I still had to return home and help give mom a proper burial, and loathed facing it without him. But I knew he had to return home as well: Rytas would be buried as well, not as a way of honoring him, but a way for Blake to show that he had more honor than his father had. It would be nothing more than the most basic of burials though.

"I... I'm really grateful for what you did." Blake started. "Even if we were all individually innocent, I can't help but feel we got better than we might have deserved thanks to you."

"No." I responded quickly. "None of you did anything wrong. I mean... sure, I'm still upset that mom's gone... But the one who took her paid the price, and I don't want anything else in return, for any more blood to be spilt. The people of Icarus may not like my judgement now, but I think they'll warm up to it."

He smiled fondly, closing his eyes and letting his face bask in the waning warmth of day. "I still owe you one though, Rarity. Not as the lord of a house, but as a friend. If you ever need anything..." He looked at me earnestly, "Just let me know, and I'll be there for you."

I smiled and nodded, then stepped forward and gave him a hug. He was never much of an affectionate person, but after a second he gave me a comforting pat on the back. We stood like this for a few seconds, then broke away and walked in silence to the parties waiting for us outside the plaza. As Icarus rode away to the south on a cloud of air generated by our eight children of air, I cast a glance back to the north, just in time to see Leo disappear on the horizon. I barely even noticed the shockwave of rainbow energy overhead, and had to be told about it later.

**Year 498; House of the Hylian**

**Rainbow Dash**

Rarity finished her story and took her seat, and after I looked around a moment later, I realized there was no-one else to go next. When we began, I hadn't expected to become as absorbed in any of the stories as I had, but I found myself hanging on every word of each one. And, even more surprisingly, I realized the truth behind Xekora's plan.

After hearing everything, I did feel like I knew everyone else a bit more than before- I already knew Applejack as much as I did myself, and I could tell the already fairly-strong friendship I had with Fluttershy and Pinkie had grown deeper today. Rarity was the kind of person no-one could help but know, but I now felt as though I really _knew _her instead of just knowing _of _her.

"So _that's _what it was..." I heard Spike mutter into his interlocked hands, held up before his mouth thoughtfully. "Fafnir, you _idiot_..." Spike had never struck me as one to rush anything, and now I could see why: if Goldoans had such long lifespans as I was led to believe, this person appearing to be three or four years my senior might have been hundreds of years ahead in reality. I knew now his heart was in the right place, and he knew Celestia was the enemy here, but I couldn't find a good way of justifying his lack of action. Still, I was sure he'd come around in time to be a valuable ally.

Phil and Trixie both had the right idea too, but I was somewhat concerned by their motivation. Phil had the same problem Spike did: it was likely he wouldn't make a move without ensuring Twilight's safety first, but would fight to his last breath to protect her. Trixie, on the other hand, seemed completely obsessed with revenge, to a degree that concerned even me. I felt like if we didn't stop her, she'd probably get herself killed trying to gain more power. She didn't have any concern for her own safety, only the destruction of the Queen.

That brought me to Twilight herself. When we first met, all I felt for her was annoyance and hate, as she was exactly the kind of person I couldn't stand. But things had changed slightly since then. Outside of anything relating to the Queen, I found that I didn't outright _hate _her. And now I realized none of it was her fault, but Celestia's. Twilight never had a choice in the matter, and was raised to act the way she did. I felt myself agreeing with Phil and Spike more and more: if there was a chance to change her mind, it should be taken. Twilight was a good person at heart, but needed to be pointed in the right direction.

"So." Xekora said, hands folded before him. "That's that. I think you'll all realize now why I had you do that. You'll need to know each other inside and out to be cohesive enough a team to tackle the challenges ahead of you. Now... As promised, I'll hold up my end of the offer now. You've all shared your stories, now it's time for one of my own."

**Chapter Forty-four**

**Rainbow Dash**

If I wasn't fully alert before, I was now. I knew exactly nothing about Xekora, except that he seemed to have unlimited power and influence. He was constantly there to bring in people with power and reason to fight, as was evident by Trixie and Phil. While good humored, I could still sense something decidedly wrong about him.

That, and the fact remained that he was immortal.

He stood, cleared his throat and began. "A long, long time ago, all of reality was based around, lived and died according to, and was utterly tied to, a grand system of sorts. In this system, a world reaching it's time would produce a certain number of children, destined to carry on and be the heroes of their world. The age of these children was always the same, but the units of age would often vary. In terms of the years Equestria uses, the children would be more or less thirteen years of age.

"These chosen children would be raised on their home planet as a normal child, raised only by a guardian who would find them as newborns, because, as you see, the both the guardians and the children would be direct products of the system itself, rather than a natural part of the world. The children would venture through a fantasy world, while, unfortunately, their own world would be left to die. Upon completing their quest through this fantasy world, the children would create a new world, and give life to it themselves. This was the grand circle of life, of destruction of one world and birth of another, with the system governing it all serving as the link connecting the two ends.

"However... Approximately six hundred years ago, something went wrong. A group of sixteen children, comprised of the chosen heroes form two utterly separate worlds, found themselves working together. Both of their quests had been horribly wrecked, as will happen from time to time. Glitches and bugs, mistakes and errors, all caused a series of events that caused the two quests to become one. The children did what they could to save themselves and their worlds, as neither could claim their prize of a new world any longer.

"But they managed to utterly screw over their own quests so hard, that the _system itself crashed._ Not only did their own worlds collapse immediately, but the system was ruined permanently, as what entity could possibly repair something like that? Other worlds began to collapse before their time, and untold zillion-zillions of people died. The governing forces of each individual world began to panic, and were willing to try anything to stop the destruction of all life. These governing forces, of course, were nothing short of Gods.

"Now, enter the grand world of Hyrule. My homeland, one with a bloody but heroic history of darkness being slain by the righteous hero. My world was nearing it's own time when the system was destroyed, had almost reached the time when we would have shed our old world and be born anew, when the world began collapsing in on itself right in front of our eyes. The chosen heroes had not yet reached the time when they could save us, and things were looking utterly grim. Hyrule was running out of options, and were willing to do anything to save our lives.

"Now, before I go on, you should all understand something about me. Back then, I was a completely different person than I am now. The times I've had here changed me completely, but back then... I was, in essence, the bad guy. I was the one sitting on the sidelines, orchestrating events as I saw fit to throw the world into chaos, and seize power in the end. I was the ultimate king of darkness, and I know that if I had been given the full chance, I could have taken over Hyrule and bring it under my own rule.

"But my plans changed when I witnessed what was befalling my world. It needed saving more than ever before, and I realized that I was the only one capable of saving it. Since Hyrule was nearing its time to enter the system, several of the features of the quest had already come online. One of which was called the Quest Bed: a venture that would allow the user to elevate themselves to nothing less than godhood, for purposes of finishing their quest, and for ruling their new world afterwards.

"I did what I had to do. I located a Quest Bed, awaiting a hero that would never come, and took my own life upon its stony surface. I arose a new man the next day, a shiny new cloak and ridiculous power upgrades to show for it, and made my way to the ancient control center of the world, the Tower of the Gods. From there I extended my power to the core of the planet and the entire world, and slowly, painfully, Hyrule's bleeding came to a stop. Under my influence, the world was safe.

"At the time, the thought of ruling the world with this new power and influence, especially since the world had little choice in the matter anyway, hadn't even crossed my mind. However, with my dark power holding the entire world together, I couldn't help the fact that the darkness did affect things. I was never made fully aware of what had happened, but it seemed things were not at all well in other parts of the world. Alive, maybe, but the darkness was making life very unpleasant despite my efforts. To the people, it seemed a hero would need to rise to save them from this new dark threat, but- as was said before- the heroes previously destined to save them were not ready.

"So who should come knocking at my door, than the guardians tasked with raising these children! Mother of Link, Grandfather of Malon, Father of Zelda, and Brother of Markus; all came, guns-a'blazing, to topple my dark rule. I tried explaining the situation to them, of course, but they would have none of it. To them, things were simple (as they had no idea the system had ever existed): I was causing their difficulties, and killing me would make them go away. So, taking the only course of action I could in order to keep Hyrule alive, I raised my own arms against them.

"The fight was brutal, even with my godly strength. The fact was, I was stretched too thin holding the world together to use my full power, and soon the tide of battle began to turn on me. The four, battle weary themselves, made for one final charge against me, and while one did fall in the attempt, I was utterly defeated. I felt the power of darkness rushing out of the planet just as the life rushed out of me, and began to panic. The world could only survive on its own for so long at this rate, and I wasn't sure if I could be resurrected in time to save it again. You see, godhood of this fashion doesn't make the person un-killable: rather, the god will be brought back to life after dying, provided the death was neither heroic nor just. Under those circumstances, the god would not be brought back.

"In my mind, I knew that my death was in no way heroic, as I had utterly failed to save anything, and it was not just, as all I was doing was trying to spare the world. But from the guardian's point of view, this death was very just, and I wondered whether that would be what determined my fate. Either way, I knew Hyrule was in trouble. Yet... long after the last vestige of life had left me, I still remained in darkness, denied resurrection or afterlife. I could see nothing, feel nothing, and utterly lost all track of time. I was sure I spent a century in there at least, perhaps two.

"Just as I had given up all hope of returning to Hyrule, or indeed ever living again, a bright blue light approached me, and in a sweet voice told me simply that another place needed me. The light flashed brighter and brighter until it filled the dark space, and slowly faded out from blue to yellow. I realized it wasn't the light I was seeing any longer, but a sun! I sprung to my feet immediately, and found that I was as alive as ever, in the middle of a small grassy knoll, surrounded by a fair amount of stuff from Hyrule. I wasn't sure if there was any order at all to the objects, as only a few seemed at the time to have any significance, but I was glad to have them all the same. To me, they were the one link to my old life.

"This became all the more true when I ventured away from the unknown place I awoke at, and realized how out of my depth I really was. While sharing some similarities to Hyrule, this new land- Equestria- was a completely alien world to me, and perhaps for the first time in my life, I felt homesick, and truly alone. It worsened when I remembered what had led me here: I had lost control over Hyrule, and I had every reason to assume it had been completely destroyed. I felt worthless and out of place, so much so that I tried to end it all and let death finally get it's hands on me: But to my growing despair, I found I was still a god, and could not die a cowardly suicidal death.

"I never discovered the fate of Hyrule. I could find no way to leave the world I now lived upon, so I had no way of discerning the fate of my home, or if any other worlds had survived The Crash. So, as an immortal being utterly without belonging, I decided to research what sort of world I had chanced upon. Unfortunately... It was smack-dab in the middle of the Equestrian Civil War.

"I soon ended up allying myself with quite the interesting rag-tag group: a couple of knights and some civilians- though all six were formidable fighters in their own regard- two of each from Dusk, Dawn and Eclipse. But most interesting was the matter of two individuals the group was escorting and assisting in their various quests: none other than our dear Celestia and Luna. But, as you might have guessed, Celestia was a great deal less insane five-hundred years ago, and she's been _gradually _losing her mind since.

"It seemed the sisters, both members of the fairly powerful noble House Apollo already, had come to the same conclusion I did, but in different circumstances: While their own world did not seem to be threatened (any longer, perhaps) by The Crash, the civil war was on the path to ripping Equestria to shreds. Something needed to be done to end the war quickly, and the two had discovered a way to do it. You see, it seemed that a single entity was truly behind the war so far- something I found frustratingly familiar, but failed to mention- and they knew that if this individual was removed, tensions would drop and peace could be pursued.

"To attain power enough to destroy this threat, the sisters made a pact to do whatever it took to protect their kingdom, and soon found exactly what they needed: Another Quest Bed had survived on this planet, and fell into their possession. With the system long dysfunctional, and Equestria nowhere near its time to die, it was clear the bed did not work as it might have. However, after extensive research, we discovered that it would support one unorthodox function: the Dual Godhood. By accepting the ultimate light and darkness and taking each other's lives, Celestia and Luna both ascended to godhood with this one bed.

"There were both some limitations and advantages to this method of godhood. Celestia embodied the ultimate light, and Luna the ultimate darkness, and neither could be killed save for by the other, with the 'Heroic or Just' rule still in place as well. This isn't to say only Luna could kill Celestia or vice-versa, but that only an equal opposite power could. At the time, this made no difference, but today I know Luna's power has waned severely, while Celestia's has grown, and Luna stands no chance of defeating her sister alone now. However, if one of the sisters is killed... the other becomes mortal once again. I know what it sounds like I'm suggesting, but no: I do not advocate killing Luna to weaken Celestia. While this would in theory work, I believe there is a better way.

"But to get back to the topic, I watched as the two soared to immortality, seized two of the most powerful weapons in existence- the Blades of Light and Dark- and faced off against this startlingly familiar entity. He took no real definitive form, but brandished the third in the set: The Blade of Blood. Together, along with the six warriors and yours truly, our team successfully brought this being to its knees, and it was sealed away permanently. History would remember nothing of this entity, save for one name recorded by me... Discord.

"After his vanquishment, Celestia ended up ascending to the throne after the current king was slain in battle, and for a time tried to bring the three countries together to hammer out a treaty, but Discord's damage was lasting. Soon she herself began to fall victim to his chaotic ways, and her attempts at peace soon morphed into a startlingly successful conquest. Luna, retaining her own reasoning, attempted to raise a resistance force to stop her sister, and the six heroes raised arms once again to her aid. I however, remained on the sidelines, having accepted and immersed myself in my role as immortal historian. What happened next is history: Luna's resistance was obliterated, the young princess sealed away indefinitely, and the six warriors were slain, never to be remembered again by any save for their one remaining friend.

"These six heroes, however, did all start families in between the battles, and their blood carried on through the generations. And now I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that their ultimate descendants... are you six, the Elements of Harmony. That of course extends to all the brothers and sisters you all have, as well as a few other distant descendants dotted around Equestria, but you six are clearly destined to follow in your ancestor's footsteps and challenge the Queen once again. This is your next objective form me: you will someday be directed to the final resting places of your ancestor, and you must learn from them to become powerful enough to do what must be done."

Xekora finally paused, letting his words sink in. I had no doubt that his account of events was the accurate one I had been searching for, and was glad I could see what had truly happened at the end of the war. Never before had I heard of any Discord or six heroes, but I suppose it made sense Celestia would cover them up over time. I did have my doubts about his claim that the six of us were tied by blood to these mysterious warriors, as I had no evidence either way. _Still... If we were descended from an ancient hero, I'll bet anything that Ultraviolet knew something about it. I'll have to remember to ask him about it the next time he decides to bum around in my head._

"Anyway..." Xekora sighed, stretching. "That's really all I have for you... I'm pretty sure we can find a way to use the Elements of Harmony to bring down the Queen, but we'll have to keep looking for it. So... did we have anything else do do here today?"

No one elected any further information, and everyone seemed generally tired. The sun was on its way down, and we'd all done nothing but sit around in the woods all day. I could guess that the others felt the same way, and was about to suggest we all head back home, when someone else spoke up first: "You know, I do recall someone mentioning Rainbow Dash over there singing. I dunno about you, but I think I'd like to see that myself."

I turned to face Phil, who wore a smug expression on his face. He had already showed off with his fancy flying earlier, and now he was calling me out on singing. It was clear this guy wanted a challenge out of me. Once again, while still a bit annoying, I could see something of myself in this 'Human Phoenix'. I smirked back at him and stood.

An idea began forming as soon as I was on my feet. "Fine. But first... Xekora, I saw some instruments inside your hut when I was poking around this morning... Mind if I borrow that drum set?" I turned slightly to confirm that my plan was already falling into place, with Applebloom already trying to back out. "No, Applebloom, that's the deal. If I'm singing, you're playing the drums for me. Can't sing with no music."

"If you've got a guitar in there, I can play that." Scootaloo offered excitedly. A few minutes later we had set up the instruments off to the side and were doing a bit of a practice run. Applebloom was, of course, still as good as ever at her post: it was in fact Applejack who had picked up a few tricks to it from her over the years. Scootaloo could play his chosen instrument well enough, though took a bit longer to get warmed up.

After a bit of conferring, we decided unanimously on a song to play, and took only a moment to get ready. The guitar, held curiously backwards by Scootaloo and played with his left hand, began with a soft rhythm, and drew the full attention of everyone in the clearing. I cleared my throat silently and began as soon as the arc began to repeat, an un-contained smile on my face:

"_I'll take these storms away,_

_Start, a brand new story,_

_I'll make it through each day,_

_Singing death or glory,_

_Lord, won't answer me,_

_I, won't let it bring me down..."_

Applebloom's drums began in the background at the beginning of the next verse:

"_And though these clouds are grey,_

_That I'm living under,_

_I know I'll be okay,_

_With, the rain or thunder,_

_I hear it calling me,_

_I'll go marching to the sound..."_


End file.
